


It's Over Now, It's Time to Die

by CloseToSomethingReal



Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Glass Scientists (Webcomic)
Genre: Blood, Cannibalism, Death, F/F, F/M, Gore, Horror, M/M, Violence, guys its the fucking hunger games take a guess, should i tag that if it was only blood?, some guy licked a bloody knife, very mild sexual content, whatever like i said its the hunger games
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-04-04 10:46:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 24
Words: 62,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14018601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloseToSomethingReal/pseuds/CloseToSomethingReal
Summary: Each year, 2 people, ages 12 to 18, are chosen from each of the of the twelve districts to compete in the Hunger Games: a vicious event in which there can be only one survivor. For the Capitol, it is high entertainment. For the districts, a horror show. And for the tributes... let the odds be ever in their favor.I'm too optimistic to say hiatus, but I wouldn't expect many updates, I'm in university which kills free time and eats it for breakfast.





	1. Chapter 1

“Henry, wake up, darling.” Henry's mother shook him out of the warm embraces of sleep, and as she did every year, pulled him into a tight hug. 

“Good morning, mother.” Jekyll smiled and returned her embrace. 

They both fell into silence for a time. Jekyll’s father was already cooking breakfast, as he typically did. 

Mister Jekyll liked distractions. Nothing would distract Missus Jekyll from the danger her only child was in.

“Six entries.” She murmured. 

“I still have good odds.” Jekyll assured her. Gave her another tight squeeze and went to get dressed. 

He had never told her his plan. He had never told her that by his eighteenth year, he intended to volunteer as tribute. 

Because he had a plan to win, and he needed a chance to test it. Even if it failed and he died a horrible death. 

_ We aren’t going to die a horrible death. Stop being ridiculous.  _ The blond in the mirror scoffed. 

Jekyll refused to answer him. Hyde believed there was no one who could beat him, Jekyll knew that already. 

And Hyde had been practicing with the careers for years. No one really knew who he was, or why he was only around to practice with the people who trained from the time they were kids to be in the games, but Hyde had managed to do it.

And most often… he could beat the others. Hyde was no pushover, all in all. But that didn't take into account the other districts. Other fighting styles, other strengths.

Besides. If tributes didn't beat Hyde and take them out… there was always a chance that the arena, dehydration, illness or starvation got to them.

_ And that's what you're good at dealing with. Come on, Henry, get dressed!  _ Hyde ordered.  _ Hiding from the reaping won't make it not happen! _

Jekyll knew that was true. Hiding from the reaping would only get him killed. It was mandatory attendance. The peacekeepers in district 1 could be a lot worse, but they still made sure the citizens followed Capitol’s laws. 

One of which stated that every citizen was to be in attendance of the reaping, every year. Or they wouldn't live to see the next one. 

So Henry Jekyll walked to the closet, pulled out a white dress shirt, black dress pants, red tie, laid them out on his bed. 

Shucked off his sleep clothes, grabbed a robe, pulled it over himself and walked to the bathroom to take a shower. 

If today he went to the Capitol, he had better be looking his best. 

_ You're sure the careers won't volunteer? _

“I made them promise not to.” 

_ All of them? _

“All of them.” 

The careers thought he had a death wish, but they had agreed.

Jekyll got into the bathroom, shed the robe, stepped into the shower and let the hot water engulf him. 

He only wished the water was loud enough to drown Hyde out.  _ I don't know what you're so worried about. We’ve been waiting for this for years!  _

“There are still flaws, Hyde. You, for example, can't sleep.” Jekyll reminded him. “And transforming back from you still takes longer than it should.” 

_ So let's work on it!  _

“In my parent's house?” Jekyll demanded as he felt Hyde try to seize control. “Stop it, this isn't the time.”

_ Betcha if you let me, I could find a way to make us relax. _

“You're not doing that in my parent’s shower. Just stop, Hyde, we can worry about this all after the reaping. After all, how many people are in it? And I only have six entries. There are kids that have to take tesserae, they have a lot more than six.” 

_ The odds are never completely in your favour.  _ Hyde reminded him. 

Jekyll sighed, scrubbed soap into his auburn hair, got out of the shower, dried off and got dressed. Walked back to the bathroom, brushed his teeth and shaved. 

Hyde stared him down from the mirror until he ordered the blond to get out of the way so he wouldn't nick himself shaving.

Hyde was, in a way, the total opposite of him. Fair haired, green eyed, and confidence that bordered on arrogance. He wore a sly look, like a cat’s, most of the time.

In many ways, Jekyll admired him. Even standing and shaking at the reapings, he had made Hyde at fifteen and was still scared to be picked, Hyde was cool, collected, if anything, excited to be chosen. 

A career, without the academy. 

Of course, Jekyll knew Hyde wasn't all combat and confidence. He was one hell of a slut, and would be worse if Jekyll allowed him more time touring the district, but he was short and people grew suspicious of why he never seemed concerned about reapings, or seemed to show up for them. 

He was also ridiculous, spouted purple prose poetry for fun, and had some of the worst logic in the world. 

Hence why Jekyll was so reluctant to trust him. He couldn't be trusted to make a decision on his own, and he couldn't be trusted to listen to reason. 

“Henry! Breakfast is done!” Mister Jekyll called.

Jekyll wiped his face off, caught one last look from Hyde, and ran into the kitchen. 

“Oh, don't you look handsome!” His mother gave him another hug.

Jekyll smiled. “And you look lovely, mother.” He told her.

The whole house was dressed up. Everyone always was. 

“Henry! Good morning to you!” His father said with a smile. 

“Good morning, father.” Jekyll said pleasantly. 

“Will you be spending the day here?” Missus Jekyll asked. 

“Robert and I have arranged to meet up after breakfast, for some time.” Jekyll explained. “I'll be back here to spend time with you, too.” 

“Don't you worry about us. Spend time with Robert. Don't tell his father.” Mister Jekyll told him. 

Jekyll nodded, ate his breakfast and left the house. 

He wasn't too worried. He likely wouldn't be called, and he didn't intend to volunteer until next year. This was Robert’s last year eligible, and he would likely be fine, too. 

There were many people with far worse odds. 

Jekyll walked down the street towards the center of town, watched cars whiz by him as he wandered to his meeting place with Robert Lanyon. 

The center of district 1 would be undergoing changes, just for the day. Setting up the stage, preparing speeches… it didn't matter. He and Robert still met up there. 

It was, after all, where they had met as children. 

He passed jewellers, perfume shops, goldsmiths… this was truly the district for luxury. 

Now, it wasn't like the district members were allowed to own all of these things. The district was rich, yes, but most of their crafts were sold to the Capitol. A woman could own a pretty necklace or a nice perfume, but this wasn't the Capitol. There were differences. 

What they were setting up for in the city center was one of them. 

“Henry!” Robert cried, rushing up and pulling Jekyll into a hug.

Jekyll smiled and held on tightly for a few moments. “Come on, let's go.” 

Robert looked damnably good, he always did and it totally wasn't fair that his father hated Jekyll and if anything was going to ever come of them, it would have to be after Lanyon had left his family behind and could not be controlled by his father. 

They both knew the other had feelings. But Mister Lanyon had eyes all around the city. 

So they couldn't really have any secrecy. They just had to wait. Mister Lanyon couldn't stop them being friends. No one would help him keep the boys from being friendly. 

“So? Nervous about the reaping?” Robert asked, leading the brunet out of the city center and down a side street. 

“Why should we be nervous? Our odds are as good as they can be for our ages!” Henry laughed. 

_ And you have a nasty little trick up your sleeve, of course. Lanyon doesn't have that. If he gets called, he dies. _

If Lanyon got called… Jekyll would volunteer for him. That he knew already. He wouldn't let Lanyon go out to die. Not when he had a way to maybe survive. 

_ Lanyon would never forgive you for volunteering for him. Even if you came home alive. _

Lanyon led him into a small bakery, bought them each a roll and they walked out.

Jekyll resisted the urge to pull an arm around Lanyon's waist, god, it hurt to be this close and this far. To know they both wanted what they couldn't get have. 

They walked as close together as they possibly could, eating in silence. 

Neither really knew where they were headed. Not outside the city limits, that was a death wish, particularly on the reaping day, because too many people would try to escape today. 

Too many people were afraid. 

_ But not us.  _

Hyde was wrong, though. Jekyll wasn't fully afraid, but he was nervous. 

Lanyon led them to somewhere to sit down. “So. You're not nervous?” Lanyon asked incredulously. 

“Okay maybe a little bit. But our odds are good, a career will speak up for you if you're called, and you only have to survive this last one. And then they take you out of pool and you can live your life as you please.” Jekyll told him. 

“And you?” 

“I'm only a year younger than you, Robert. I have this one and the next one. That's all.” Jekyll assured him. 

“I still worry about you.” 

“I know you do.” Jekyll assured him. “But once I'm nineteen and we’re both out of the games, we can finally ignore your father and… and I won't give that up for the world.”I know that I just… worry.” Lanyon admitted.

“Robert, darling, you worry about everything. And half of it never happens.” Jekyll teased, glancing around and pressing a quick kiss to the man’s cheek, spending a moment just to breathe in the warm scent of his cocoa skin. 

“I know…” Lanyon agreed, with a heavy sigh. “Just two more games to get through.”

“That's right. Now come on, your father will want you home before the reaping, Robert, and he had best not spot me with you.” 

Lanyon gave a slight nod. “Until later, after the reaping.” 

“I'll be waiting in the usual place.” Jekyll promised. 

Jekyll’s first reaping, when he was twelve years old, he'd been terrified and tried to stand beside Robert. After being shouted at by the mayor and three peacekeepers, he had learned that he had to stand with those his own age. 

So now they simply arranged to meet up after the ceremony. 

Jekyll returned home, in almost complete silence, hugged both his parents, straightened his hair again and ate lunch. 

The reaping was at two o’clock. Jekyll made a point to show up early, not irritate the peacekeepers by arriving precisely when he had to. 

Walked up to the tables, got signed in, was reminded that he was entered 6 times this year, hugged his parents again and walked over to wait where the other seventeen year olds would be. 

Oldests were in the front, youngest in the back. 

Jekyll watched as Robert arrived with his family, signed in as well. 

The mayor and his family were excused of many things. 

The Hunger Games was not one of them. 

_ Look at him. Mister Lanyon can barely keep it together! Doesn't he know tears don't woo the Capitol into not calling his son? _

“Hyde, hush. My parents are emotional, too. Who can blame them?” 

Lanyon’s mother kissed his cheek and he walked away to stand near the front of the stage. His mother joined the crowd of spectators, his father climbed onto the stage

Greeted Emma Carew, the Capitol ambassador of District 1. 

She was well known in the district, and fairly pleasant as far as those from the Capitol are concerned. It helped that in District 1, it was no secret that she was romantically involved with one of the district’s victors. 

The one who does the training. 

District 1 had a long list of victors, but the most recognizable, the most well known was Lucy Harris, also known as Queen Lucy, or Cutthroat Lucy. The one who arrived early to greet Emma, and one of the more recent victors. She famously banded together the female tributes in her games, and together they hunted down the males before scattering and facing each other in battle until only she remained. 

She dropped a tree trunk on her last opponent. 

She also held the record for the most kills in one Hunger Game. Eleven. Nearly half the tributes in her game had died to her hand.

She was the one who trained the tributes, and the one involved with Emma. 

_ There she is! Jekyll, there she is it's Queen Lucy!  _

“You, shut your mouth.” Jekyll muttered. “I already know you've got an unhealthy obsession with her, you do this every game.” 

_ She's a real idol!  _ Hyde argued.  _ I aspire to be like her. _

“If you rounded up all the female tributes it would be to see how many you could fuck before one slit your throat.” 

_ Not true. I'd round up the male tributes for that, too. _

Jekyll couldn't argue with his logic.

The city center slowly filled with the rest of the people. With a population of over two-hundred thousand, it was impossible to fit them all. All the children eligible for the games stayed in the center, the others were directed down side streets. Important folks like Lanyon's mother had a spot reserved for her in the center as well. 

At exactly 2 o’clock, Mister Lanyon stepped up and began the speech he said every year. The story of Panem, how the country was raised for the desolation of the continent of North America. All the disasters that someday led to the Capitol, surrounded by thirteen districts, each essential to the survival of Panem.

And then the dark days. The uprising of thirteen districts, the defeat of twelve and the destruction of the thirteenth. How the Treaty of Treason gave new laws to keep the peace… and the Hunger Games. 

The reminder of the defeat. Each year, two tributes are sent off from each district to fight in a battle royale to the death. One victor brings riches and plenty to their district for one year, and a life of comfort for themself. 

All others die.

They once demanded one male and one female. That changed a few years back, in an argument for equality, in many cases odds were worse for one sex and better for the other, and because new outcry from the people made it harder to tell men from women, or even establish a difference at all. 

We are left completely at the Capitol’s mercy through it all. 

“It is both a time of repentance and a time for thanks.” Intoned Mister Lanyon. He stared at Robert while he spoke and any fool can tell he didn't believe what he said.

The Capitol made its districts treat the games as a festivity. Even as they watch their people die, they have to pretend to be festive. 

Hyde found it such. Jekyll found it disgusting.

Mister Lanyon was reading the victors name. There were many, too many to remember them all, even just those who are alive. They are all on the stage. 

Lucy Harris was the last name called. A woman who barely survived her victory tour, caused an uprising in District 12, the district where she had killed both their tributes, that district’s first shot at a victor in many years had been crushed by her, and in District 1, she was always showered in applause and takes a dramatic bow.

Emma Carew stepped up with a brilliant smile, introduced herself, spoke of the honour of being able to introduce this year's tributes of District 1. 

She was a pretty girl, not half as ridiculous as some escorts could be, considering she is from the Capitol. It was hard to respect her, someone who could think like Hyde and view these games as entertainment, but Jekyll didn't outright hate her.

She stepped forward. “And, District 1’s first tribute for the 74rth Hunger Games is…” She reached into the large, spherical glass bowl containing the names of every eligible child in the district. 

Jekyll snuck one last glance at Lanyon. His friend looked terrified as Emma unfolded the paper. “Henry Jekyll!” 

It took Hyde’s cheering and Lanyon’s cry of horror for Jekyll to realize that it was his own name.


	2. Chapter 2

_ Ha! Ha, we’re going! This should be a goddamn blast!  _ Hyde cried, laughing giddily as reality set in for Henry Jekyll. 

He was going to the Hunger Games. He had arranged it previously, no voice would speak up for him. He was going to the Games.

It was now or never. 

“Henry Jekyll? Up to the stage, my dear boy!” Emma called expectantly. 

Someone shoved Jekyll towards the outside of the group, towards the path cleared by the other children leading to the stage. He stumbled, managed to get his footing before stepping onto that path. 

The other tributes would be watching. He couldn't show fear. Couldn't show weakness.  _ Oh, come on, Jekyll! Move! Let's go! It isn't that hard!  _ Hyde scolded. 

Jekyll swallowed hard and walked to the steps, climbed up onto the stage. 

Robert looked terrified. More scared than Jekyll imagined he would be if he himself had been called for the tribute. 

“You are Henry Jekyll?” Emma asked kindly. 

Jekyll nodded.

“Do we have any volunteers?” 

Lanyon glanced around him. The careers that would be volunteering were standing beside him. No doubt the academy had chosen the two best to represent, but Jekyll had made them promise. 

No volunteers. 

So the ranks were silent. 

“Then congratulations, Henry, you are our first tribute!” Emma beamed, shaking his hand. 

A round of applause followed, but the careers were silent, and Jekyll only heard Lanyon.

Lanyon wailed, falling back from the ranks in front of the stage where no one could see him. Jekyll tried to watch him, but only saw him until he fell to his knees. Then he disappeared from sight. 

It hurt to watch him fall apart. Hurt like hell. Jekyll was confident in himself, he knew he could survive if his experiment worked like it should. Hyde was buzzing with anticipation. 

_ Let him cry. He'll only be more excited when you come home to him, alive. Not that I care, he's a little snot-nosed rich brat. _ Hyde remarked. 

Jekyll wished he could tell Hyde off, but he could not talk to Hyde on live television, going out to the entire nation. 

From this point on… he would have to double his security on how he dealt with Hyde. No one could find out about the blond until they were in the arena.

“Alright, ladies and gentlemen, time to choose the second tribute!” Emma called, walking back up to the bowl, sending it spinning and mixing the thousands of little white paper slips spinning around again. 

Jekyll watched them intently. 

All would be well. He could trust that. Hyde could beat the careers. It wouldn't be a problem, really, he should borrow from Hyde’s confidence. What could possibly go wrong? 

Emma reached into the bowl and pulled out a paper, unfolded it and a strange look passed over her face. She glanced into the crowd, and then back at the mayor. 

“Our second tribute from District 1 is Robert Lanyon!” She called. 

“No!” The mayor cried in horror. Jekyll felt his heart seize as he saw Robert, face already tear streaked from the career’s refusal to volunteer for Jekyll. 

The careers! 

_ Jekyll, get it together! Stay on your fucking game, the careers will volunteer for him! _

Jekyll took a deep breath. That was right. There would a career to volunteer for Lanyon. 

Lanyon stepped onto the stage, dried his eyes. He was still sniffling, still looked terrified. 

“And you are Robert Lanyon?” Emma asked. “Yes.” Lanyon's voice was clear. 

“The mayor’s son.”

“Yes.” 

Emma nodded. “Do we have any volunteers?” 

“I don't want one.” Lanyon said quickly.

“No…” Jekyll muttered. “No, no, no, Robert, please!” 

Everyone looked confused. “Robert-" His father’s voice was strangled, filled with pain. 

“I don't want a volunteer. Henry Jekyll and I will represent District 1 in the games.” 

Emma looked confused, Mister Lanyon was barely keeping it together for the stage, his mother was sobbing in the crowd. 

“Very well! Robert, Henry, shake hands!” Emma decided, smiling. 

Robert’s palm was sweating. Jekyll was fighting back tears, why would Robert be so stupid? Why would he do this?

_ Someone else will kill him. You won't have to. I won't have to. _

That wasn't reassuring. Jekyll still wanted to sob but he had no one to fall into their arms, he wanted to hold Robert and sob but he couldn't, he had to maintain his act, he had to look like a threat he couldn't cry he couldn't cry he couldn't cry…

“Ladies and gentlemen, this year's tributes, for the 74rth Hunger Games from District 1 are Henry Jekyll and Robert Lanyon!” Emma said into the microphone. 

The people did cheer. Jekyll wished they wouldn't. He wished they would stay quiet he wished this was a dream he wished he would wake up and it would be a career beside him.

But this wasn't a dream. Robert was standing beside him, tear tracks plain on his emotionless face. 

He wasn't off to a good start. The mayor’s coddled son, crying before he got onto the stage… the other tributes would have already sized him up and decided he was a weakling. Pushover. Easy target. 

So…

_ Don't you dare. Don't you dare even suggest that I do that fuck you I'm not protecting the ratbag fuck that he's going to have to die anyways!  _ Hyde protested. 

They would have to protect Lanyon.

_ I'm not going to! You can't force me!  _

The anthem was blaring to a close. Jekyll hadn't even noticed it begin.

_ You won't force me!  _

Jekyll didn't answer. He was being ushered away from Lanyon, behind the stage towards the large, elegant justice building. In through the doors, to a poshly furnished room and told to wait there.

Right. He had to say goodbye to his parents. He had forgotten, he had to face them again he had to watch them cry watch as they believed they send their son off to die. 

They didn't know about Hyde.

_ You could tell them. _

But he couldn't. He couldn't risk anyone finding out before the games. So he couldn't even tell his parents about Hyde. 

_ Does that mean you're going to keep refusing to answer me until we’re in the arena? God, how dull. You'd better let me out in the Capitol, I want to go exploring!  _

Jekyll rolled his eyes. No one would be letting anyone out of the tribute’s building, there was no way Hyde would get to explore.

_ Ugh. Will I get to meet Lucy? _

Jekyll didn't dignify that with an answer, or even just a thought about the question. Besides, his parents had just walked in and his mental half-conversation was interrupted by his mother’s sobbing and arms thrown around him. 

“Henry… Oh, Henry, why would they make you face this how could they make you face this, why would no one volunteer for you I can't lose you!” She wailed, holding him far too tightly but he didn't complain, only hugged her in return. 

She didn't know. She didn't know that he had told the careers not to, that his mind was more reeling from Lanyon rejecting the volunteer than being chosen, that he was more concerned about his heart breaking than about anything else. 

So he held her tightly and allowed her to cry, allowed tears to fill his red eyes as he looked up at his father, clearly just barely remaining composed. 

“I don't know…” He lied, his voice just barely a whisper. “I don't know why they didn't volunteer…” 

“They can't take my son, please, they can't take my son…” She hiccuped. 

Henry Jekyll’s late uncle had been a tribute before Henry was even born. A career and he had still died. Never returned home. 

His mother had already lost her brother. Now she was at risk of losing her son, as well. 

“It will be okay, mother, just breathe it will be okay… I will figure something out, I always do…” Jekyll murmured. 

“And pitted against Robert Lanyon, of all people…” she whispered. “The poor boy, why would he have refused a volunteer…” 

Henry’s father came and sat down beside his son, pulled his wife and child into an embrace. 

The comment on Lanyon brought on another bought of tears. “You can't say anything about that, mother… I won't … I won't let us become the Capitol's tragic lovers…” 

His mother nodded, resting her head on his shoulder. “I'm scared for you, Henry…” 

“I know… I am too, but I have a chance… I may not be a fighter but I have the brains to survive by wit…” 

“Hear that, Elizabeth? He may be fine, don't worry, for all we know our son will be a victor…” 

“And the mayor will hate him more for it.” Elizabeth murmured. “He will have survived when Robert died…” 

“Please… don't talk about him dying, I can't stand to think…” Henry confessed. 

He would take his own life before he ensured his own victory by hurting Lanyon. 

_ I wouldn't.  _

Truly, he had known Hyde wouldn't. But he could overpower Hyde if he needed to. 

If he had to choose who came home, himself, or Robert Lanyon… 

He would always choose Lanyon. 

_ Of course you would. God knows what you see in the twit. _

Missus Jekyll nodded, continued hugging her son, rubbing his back, though really, Jekyll knew the act of comfort was more to comfort herself than him. 

He appreciated it anyways. He was content to just sit there, held by both his parents. 

_ This is sentimental and stupid. _

Of course Hyde thought that. But Jekyll knew better. These weren't Hyde’s parents, it wasn't a surprise that Hyde wouldn't care to have this precious hour to say goodbye.

But Henry was now convinced this may be his last time ever seeing them. He would not kill Lanyon to ensure his survival. He would not let Hyde kill Lanyon to ensure their survival. Ever. He couldn't let Lanyon die for that. 

He was gladly die to keep Lanyon safe. Gladly. To send Robert home where he could find love again, where he could live happily. Safely.

_ You don’t even know why the idiot refused a volunteer! Maybe your pandering affections have driven him mad and this is his suicide!  _

Jekyll had to grit his teeth not to snap at Hyde right there with his parents in the room.

He wanted so badly just to break down. So badly just to bow his head and sob but he had to stay strong for his parents, he couldn't let himself break, not with his parents there, not when they needed him to be strong…

Even his father was crying now. “Oh, come on, do you want to send me on my way knowing even my own parents don't have faith that I can win?” He asked.

His mother sniffled. His father did not reply.

“I'll do fine.” He insisted, forcing himself to smile. Come on, Hyde, some confidence would be nice right now. 

For a change, Hyde had nothing to offer. This was too sentimental for his tastes, apparently. 

“You're allowed a token. To keep with you.” His mother remembered suddenly, and reached up and unclasped the golden locket from around her neck, fastened it on her son’s. “Look inside…” she said softly. 

Henry complied, open the little locket up to see his family staring back at him. His mother, father, and himself. “Now you always have us with you…” she whispered. Pulled him back into a hug. 

Jekyll felt tears well in his eyes again, his throat felt thick. “Thank you…” He breathed. 

He had intended to give Lanyon a token if he had ever been chosen. He was almost certain Lanyon had something for him in the event of the opposite situation.

But neither of them could get to that token right now. They were both going. 

Shortly after he was given the necklace, he peacekeepers returned to pull his parents from the room. He gave them each one last hug, and then was left by himself.

The door was locked. 

_ So what are you going to do. I'm not going to let us die just so that your darling Robert Lanyon can survive. _ Hyde warned, appearing in the reflection on the glass. 

“You won't touch a hair on his head, Hyde.” Jekyll warned, glaring at the reflection. Hyde only gave his typical cat-like smirk as a response. “I mean it.” 

_ And what can you do to stop me, Jekyll? You have the trouble taking control back. Not me. I can force you to let me if I have to. _

“You wouldn't dare!”

_ I would if it meant we survive, Jekyll. These are the Hunger Games. Throw your morals to the wind, darling. It's time to act like me. _

“Never!” Jekyll insisted. He got to his feet, stormed up to the glass, stared down at Hyde. 

Hyde glared, unblinking, in return. He clearly wasn't scared by Jekyll’s attempt at dominance.  _ Face it, Jekyll, your friend signed his death warrant when he refused a volunteer. With a little luck, some other tribute will handle him and I won't have to get my hands dirty.  _

“You're wrong! I don't know how it's going to work but I am going to figure out how to fix this! I am not going to let him die!” Jekyll snapped, walking away from the window to pace the room. “I just have to think of how!” 

_ You won't beat the system, Henry, it's been alive and thwarting people's attempts since before you were born. You will have to end the games knowing he's dead. Even if we don't survive, he won't either.  _

“You don't know that for a fact!” 

_ Robert Lanyon has hardly worked a day in his live. When his daddy dies he’ll be the mayor, and he won't really have to work then, either, unless you count reading the Treaty of Treason without stuttering more than that mayor from District 11 always does. He won't survive the games. _

Hyde had a point. Lanyon was a wonderful person and Jekyll loved him dearly, but he was posh and coddled and did not have experience to help him win the games. “He could do it. Lots of other districts don't have training, either, and they survive the games.” 

_ Other districts survive on hard labor. You ever seen a mayor’s brat live through the games, unless they're a career? _

Hyde was met with silence.

_ Didn't think so. He's doomed, Henry. Might as well abandon him at the cornucopia and leave nature to do the work for you. He won't survive in the wilderness. His only chance would be to control the cornucopia, and he doesn't have a shot at that. _

“Be quiet, Hyde. The peacekeepers are coming and I've had enough of you nattering. You may still be wrong.” 

Hyde rolled his vibrant green eyes.  _ if I'm wrong, Henry dearest, you won't live to see it. _

With an unpleasant jolt in his stomach, Henry Jekyll realized that Hyde was right.


	3. Chapter 3

Emma Carew was waiting for both tributes as they boarded the train. Jekyll couldn't even look beside him without choking up. Lanyon looked utterly terrified. He had one of his father’s gold rings on his finger. 

He shouldn't be here. This wasn't right, Lanyon shouldn't be the one standing beside him. It wasn't fair it wasn't possible. How could Lanyon be here with him? Why would Lanyon be signed up to die?

“Are either of you two listening to me?” Emma snapped suddenly. “If you aren't, you would do well to. Even from District 1, you aren't going to woo the Capitol by fluke.” She warned. “Miss Harris will be here for dinner. You have an hour to get cleaned up if you should like, don't eat too much, we’ll have dinner together.” Her gaze softened. “I don't see it being a problem, but you are not to begin fighting, it is strictly prohibited for tributes to fight before the games. Now follow me.” 

She walked off ahead of the boys, heels clicking on the flooring. Her dress was long, down to the floor, and a soft pink in colour. 

Her skin shone faintly, after noticing the shine Jekyll realized it was like the ones who died their skin odd colours, only this was just tiny flecks of glitter. It made her seem iridescent. 

She walked up to the first room, unlocked it and pushed the door open. “Henry, this one is yours, Robert, yours is just down the hall. We will meet you for dinner and to watch the rest of the reapings in two hours. Look sharp, you’ve not impressed Lucy as of yet, and trust me, she will want to be impressed.” Emma warned. 

Her eyes were a natural colour, a soft greenish-blue. While her makeup was over the top, it didn't take away from her looks like it did with many people. Her hair was a soft chestnut brown. 

As much as he didn't want to, Jekyll had to respect that she made an effort to look… not ordinary, but not gaudy. Tasteful.

_ She's nothing compared to Lucy.  _

Jekyll would have rolled his eyes, if he had been alone. Hyde thought no one compared to Lucy, and besides, Jekyll wasn't admiring Emma in that way. Just taking comfort in the fact that she wasn't the typical picture of a Capitol citizen. 

_ Ugh. How boring. I should have known you only have eyes for Lanyon. I guess that'll have to change when we get out of the games.  _ Hyde laughed as Jekyll stepped into the quarters he had been prepared. 

Shut the door, tugged off his tie and untucked his shirt, dropped his tie onto the floor. He would pick it up later.

Collapsed onto the bed and fought the urge to start sobbing again. He couldn't be here. Not with Robert Lanyon in the room down the hall.

_ Oh, give it up! You've been prattling on like an idiot! Robert Lanyon is a dead man walking and it's time to give up on him, Henry, or he's just going to get you killed, too. _

“Stop it!” Jekyll cried, covering his face in his hands. “Stop it, stop it, stop it! I can't stand this, Hyde, you're right you're right you're right but say it not once more I cannot stand it!” 

Tears ran hot down his cheeks as he shouted his anguish at the blond who had not even chosen to dignify his outburst by giving him a physical appearance to yell at. 

Hyde sighed.  _ If you don't accept it… you can't survive it. _

“I know.” Henry sobbed, wiped his eyes furiously, still hiccuping with sobs. “But… I can't lose him we never even got to have anything…” 

_ You have a few days without his father here, breathing down your necks. Use them. _

“I won't be the Capitol’s tragic love story.” Jekyll said in the most forceful voice he could muster. 

_ I never said to become that. I hear there's no curfew in the Training Center. Sneak around. _

It was more tempting than it should have been. “I have to go and talk with him. Ask him why he did this.”

_ Beware. You may not like his answers.  _ Hyde warned. 

Jekyll bit his lip, wiped his eyes again and got back to his feet. 

A cold, light hand brushed his shoulder.  _ You'll survive this, Henry. You always survive. _

It was an empty comfort, so long as he lived, Hyde didn't care, but it helped nonetheless. At least he bothered to pretend. 

Jekyll walked to his door, his shoes sinking deep into the plush royal blue carpet as he opened it. 

Pushed it open, glancing down the hall for Emma or Lucy or a peacekeeper.

He was alone. He walked down to Lanyon’s door, his hands shaking.

_ You can do this, Jekyll.  _

He knocked on the door. 

There was silence for a few moments. Then he heard Lanyon walk to the door, seconds later it was pulled open. “Henry? Is something wrong?”

Jekyll sighed, fidgeting on the spot. “Could I come in?” He asked, red eyes wide. 

Lanyon’s face softened. “Of course, come inside…” he agreed, stepping out of the way for Jekyll to step inside, then closed the door.

The room was virtually identical to Jekyll’s. Plush blue carpet, warm and comfortable. The brunet stepped in and stood in the doorway, uncomfortable. 

“What is it, Henry?” 

Jekyll took a deep breath. He couldn't start crying again, he had to deal with this he could survive this. “Why wouldn't you accept a volunteer? He asked finally, and whether he wanted them to or not the tears began spilling down his cheeks again. “Why would you put us both here to die?” He demanded, breaking off into sobs. “Why should I want to make it home if my reason to live has to die for me to do it? What were you thinking, Robert?” 

Robert gasped and pulled him into a tight hug the moment he started to cry, running gentle fingers along his back. “I couldn't let you die alone…” he murmured, lips pressed into the Jekyll’s soft auburn hair. “The careers left you to die when they refused to give you a volunteer, I couldn't let you die alone… I'll bet anything my father put them up to it the moment you were entered in the games, so it's twice the reasoning for me to go… I couldn't leave you by yourself and… maybe watching his son die will make my father realize he was a fool.” 

The world crashed down around Jekyll, he began crying even more.

This was his fault. This was his fault Lanyon had refused the volunteer because of him this was his fault this was all his fault he was a fool Robert was going to die and it was all his fault. 

_ It's not your fault, Jekyll. _

Jekyll didn't give him an answer, only continued to sob into Lanyon’s shirt, close his eyes while Lanyon continued to rub his back, hold him close. 

This was all his fault. If he had told Lanyon about his arrangement with the careers this never would have happened, Lanyon never would have thought it was his father, and Lanyon wouldn't be here right now. He would be safe and comfortable in District 1. Worrying, yes, but he would be safe.

Because of Jekyll’s own stupidity, Lanyon was standing here on the train with him. About to face the game that would surely kill him. 

How could he have done this to Lanyon? How could he live with this now whether Hyde killed Robert or not he would have killed his best friend, his one-day lover.

“Henry… Henry it's alright… at least we’re together, we’ll be okay, we’re together… we have each other…”

But it wasn't alright it was the absolute worst thing Jekyll had ever done he was despicable he had gotten his closest friend the person he cared most about in the whole entire world killed. How could he live with that. 

“Henry, you're going to make yourself sick. Come and sit down and relax.” Lanyon gently guided him to a seat, settled down beside him. “I know it's bad, trust me, I know it's bad… but it could be much worse… I will be at your side until the very end. My father can't stop us now.”

“Robert, we can't be their tragic lovers…” Henry hiccuped. “We can't give the Capitol that satisfaction…” 

Hurt flashed across Lanyon’s face, it nearly broke Jekyll’s heart more than it was already mangled. “So… so we’ll never have anything…” his voice was so soft, so…  _ broken. _ Defeated. Hopeless. Like Jekyll had stolen the last bit of fire from him, the last bit of will. Gone. 

He took a deep breath. “Not true.” He murmured, remembering Hyde’s advice. “We have today, and time in the Training Center.” He said, looking up with bloodshot red eyes to stare at Lanyon. 

Lanyon gave him a weak attempt at a smile, wiped the tears away. “I suppose we do.” He agreed, voice still soft. 

“I'm sorry, Robert, I just… we can't be that. We can't be Capitol’s tragic pair-" 

“We’ll both die what’s the point in not saying anything? We’ll never have to deal with it.” Lanyon insisted. “Henry, we’ve waited so long and we’ll never have our perfect chance… let us have this…” he pleaded. 

Jekyll knew he couldn't let that happen. But until they reached the Capitol he could pretend it could. Or stay neutral. “I… we’ll have to see.” He muttered, sighing. 

Lanyon kissed his cheek. “I know you're scared…” He said. “But… things were meant to be this way, I guess. We… we’ll never get to live together, but we can die together.” 

_ God, you two are so dramatic. Jekyll, you're not even going to die! You're going to live, Lanyon’s going to trip the moment the games start and break his neck and this will all be over. And for God’s sakes, just kiss him already! God knows you want to! _

At least one part of Hyde's rant was useful. Even if he wanted to burst back into tears at Hyde's words, here he had thought that Hyde had promised to stop saying things like that, the blond had one good suggestion.

Softly, breathing barely even there, Jekyll pressed his lips gently to Lanyon’s.

Lanyon seemed surprised for a moment, but did not complain. 

“I suppose… We will have to be content in dying together…” Jekyll breathed, pulling away. 

_ Don't you dare actually mean that. You're not going to die I'm not going to let us die!  _ Hyde snapped, appearing just shortly behind Lanyon. Jekyll ignored him. He wasn't worth the time wasn't worth losing a second with Lanyon. 

He had so few left already…

_ I'm going to live to regret telling you to kiss him.  _ Hyde huffed. 

“I suppose we shall…” Lanyon agreed in a voice full of pain. “Perhaps we were fools to ever think we would have a chance…” 

_ Perhaps you were, considering  _ you _ made it so that you didn't have that chance, Lanyon. I was going to make sure Jekyll came home to you, but here you couldn't stay at home like a good little love interest, you had to come along and fuck the whole plan over! Not- _ Hyde stopped suddenly and Jekyll knew he was hiding something, but couldn't get a grasp on what it may have been. Hyde wasn't very good at keeping secrets, but this one was clearly important to him, because no amount of investigating was going to tell Jekyll what the secret was. 

And he couldn't be bothered to try very hard at the moment. He and Lanyon had such limited time together, as Hyde so loved to point out. 

“I'm sorry… I know you were already scared, and now I've scared you worse… it was not my intention…” Lanyon muttered. “I just… I didn't think, I just knew that I couldn't leave you on your own, even if I had to die to make it so…” 

“Don't give up, you can make it, Robert, you're smart, you can survive…” Jekyll pleaded.

“I’d much rather die and know that maybe I can help get you home.” Lanyon murmured. “If one of us lives… I want it to be you.” He said, hugging the brunet tightly. 

“But I want it to be you…” Jekyll breathed, closing his eyes and leaning against Lanyon’s chest. 

“Then I suppose we are at an impasse.” Lanyon said softly, kissing the top of Jekyll’s head.

“Just… just promise me you won't just give up, Robert. That you'll keep trying. Even if I die.  _ Especially  _ if I die.” Jekyll insisted.

“Promise me you'll do the same, Henry. You can't shut down if one night you see my face in the sky. Promise me you'll keep going. That you'll fight to get back to your family, they need you to go back to them.” Robert insisted.

Jekyll sighed. “If you promise, I'll promise.” He said finally, opening his red eyes.

“Then we have a deal. Shake on it.” Lanyon instructed, holding out his hand.

Jekyll shook it. Lanyon's hands were not sweating like they had been on the stage. “If we make it to the end, you're the one going home.” He said quickly. 

“I can't make you that promise.” Lanyon said, pulling his hand away. 

_ Never fear, Lanyon. I won't let you have to. _ Hyde muttered.

No, no no no, Jekyll would for himself to accept it if Lanyon got killed but he would not allow Hyde to kill Lanyon.

_ I would like to see you stop me. _ Hyde retorted, narrowing his vibrant green eyes to glare at Jekyll from where he stood behind Lanyon.

Jekyll ignored him. Buried his face in Lanyon’s shoulder, forced himself to just breathe. To just relish this time with Robert, he would inevitably lose it far too soon he had to enjoy every second of it that he would get, he couldn't waste a moment arguing with Hyde, Hyde wasn't worth it.

“Hey, even if we have to go into an arena and kill each other… I love you.” Lanyon said softly.

“I know. God knows why you do, but I love you too.” Jekyll promised, taking another deep breath. He just had to keep breathing. He couldn't fight this, he couldn't fix this, he just had to keep moving, just had to enjoy what he had left.

_ Now you're getting it. _

Jekyll wanted to tell him to shut up, but Lanyon was still in the room and that wouldn't go well. Lanyon was still holding him and that was better than being able to answer Hyde. Hyde needed to get used to being ignored, after all, Jekyll wasn't being labelled the nutcase that talked to himself. 

There was a knock at the door and then it opened. Jekyll and Lanyon sprang apart and stared over at Emma.

“I hope you’re happy, Henry, I've been looking everywhere for you, thank god Lucy knew you might be in here! Come on. Dinner is served, and Lucy wants to meet her trainees.” Emma paused. “You're already on strike two for not impressing her, Henry. I'd watch out.” 


	4. Chapter 4

“Henry, tuck your shirt back in and go and get your tie. Both of you, wash your faces. The point of these games are not to cry every time your escort's back is turned.” Emma ordered, in a no-nonsense tone. “Honestly you two, if you don't make a good impression for Lucy, she's just going go give up on both of you. She doesn't like wasting her time.” She continued. “And that includes being late.” 

“Lucy sounds like she expects too much.” Jekyll muttered.

_ How dare you!  _ Hyde gasped, glaring at him.  _ With no offense- actually, fuck that, with full offense, you don't look impressive. You look pretty goddamn hopeless. Like the only way you're going to kill someone is if you run up to them with a sword, and they keel over and die laughing at the sight. _

Emma sniffed. “Lucy expects the best from District 1. As she should. For God’s sakes you two, I'm supposed to have an easy time with this district, why are you intent on making it difficult? You were shaking like a leaf from the moment Robert got called, Henry, and Robert you were only barely better than a twelve year old that walks up to the stage crying! How am I supposed to convince anyone you're worth their attention and donations when you both barely got through the reaping?” She asked. 

_ She has a point, Jekyll. No one sponsor the twelve-year-olds crying on the stage, everyone knows they'll be the first to go.  _ Hyde remarked.  _ And maybe I like Emma a little more than I thought I would. She's got a bit of a spark, that one. On the stage, she doesn't seem the type to chew you out for your performance. _

“Now, both of you, get what I told you to do done, and go all the way down this hall to the dinning room. I'm going to appeal Lucy’s patience for you two.” Emma instructed, and turned on her heel to walk down the hall. 

Lanyon waited until she was well out of sight before giving Jekyll a quick kiss. “You'd best go and get cleaned up. I'll see you at dinner.” He muttered.

Jekyll nodded, and left the room to get back to his own. Tucked his shirt back into his slacks, picked up the red tie he had picked that morning and tied it back around his neck.

Walked into the bathroom, ran the tap, splashed his face with water to wipe away the salty residue of tears. 

Looked in the mirror. “You're going to give me a headache tonight, aren’t you?” He asked irritably. “The moment we walk in and you see Lucy you're going to start babbling.” 

_ I don't babble. _

“You absolutely do. I will make you pay if you give me a headache.” Jekyll warned. 

_ Oh, let me be excited, you jerk! It's Queen Lucy!  _

“What I said still stands.” Jekyll warned, dried his face and left the room. 

Lanyon was waiting for him in the hall. “Well, here we go, I guess.” He said with a shaky smile.

“How bad can she be?” Jekyll agreed, and walked down the hall to the dining room.

“Never say that, Henry, things can always be worse than you think they'll be. Look at how we got here.” Lanyon said darkly, and made Jekyll regret his words. Lucy could be pretty bad.

No matter what she did, Hyde would love her. He already knew that. Hyde was borderline obsessed with her, though, so of course he would cling to everything she said.

_ You’re just jealous because no one you’re obsessed with is as cool as Lucy. Case in point, look beside you. Course, you’ve got a crush on that one. _

And Hyde didn’t have some weird crush on Lucy Harris? Jekyll found that hard to believe.

_ Hey! Now, I’m not saying I would say no, but I like Emma Carew too and I’m not getting in her way. Besides, everyone knows Lucy’s gay. _

Which didn’t mean that Hyde couldn’t have a crush on her, his defense sucked.

_ Fuck you, Jekyll. Go eat dinner. _ Hyde ordered, glaring at him from within his shadow.  _ Enjoy the time you spend with  _ my _ idol. _

Jekyll just shook his head and walked into the dining room. 

Lucy was already in her seat, waiting for the two of them. Emma sat beside her. 

She was tall, her stature proud and strong. Like Emma, her dress was pink, but a much darker pink, and unlike Emma, it did not give off a pretty, feminine aura. Nor did her elbow-high white gloves, or pink hat with feathers and a sheer almost ribbon trailing from it.

Everything about her was imposing. She had dark skin, a scar across her cheek from battling in her own Hunger Games, long, curly dark hair. Her brown eyes were intense, she wore a scowl, aimed at Jekyll and Lanyon.

_ She’s even better up close. _ Hyde remarked. 

“You two,” Lucy began, still scowling at the boys, “are late. After the pitiful show you two put on at the reaping, I can’t say I’m impressed. It’s been a long time since District 1 was made a laughingstock during the reaping.” 

“Miss Harris, neither myself nor Henry are careers, surely you could not have expected us to handle this-”

“Mister Lanyon,” Lucy’s voice mocked the formalities in Lanyon’s speech. “Or should I say, Mayor Lanyon’s  _ brat, _ don’t you give  _ me _ a lecture on you two not being careers. I would have a career here, but you refused the volunteer. Given that fact, I could have expected a good show from at least you! What, did you decide that if anyone kills your highschool sweetheart it has to be you?”

“We aren’t-”

“I live in District 1, Henry, I have received the same instructions from Mayor Lanyon as everyone else in the district! Keep you two from doing anything romantic. People don’t give those instructions unless the parties in question are actually attempting to do so!” Lucy snapped. “Rule number one, you two, don’t you fucking dare lie to me. Your lies could be the death of you in the arena, or the reason why my training doesn’t help you, which, by the looks of you two, is the same thing as your cause of death.”

_ I like her so much more now that I’ve heard her speak. You tell them, Queen Lucy. _ Hyde was practically buzzing with excitement, he was clearly enjoying Lucy’s insults a lot more than the people receiving them were.

“Why have you just assumed we have no skills that can be used in the arena?” Jekyll demanded.

Lucy raised an eyebrow, as though she was actually interested now that Jekyll had spoken up about their skills. “Do you?”

At that, Jekyll floundered for a moment. He did, technically, he had trained himself to be… passable in skills that Hyde would not bother with. Trapping, wildlife identification, securing a shelter. 

Since that was all he personally could do, he said as much. “I can stay fed. Find plants, trap and clean animals.” He volunteered. 

“And you, Robert? What can the mayor’s brat do to survive?” Lucy asked, raising an eyebrow and awaiting Robert’s answer. 

Robert opened his mouth to say something, but did not manage a single word. It was clear that he did not believe that he had a skill at all. 

“Robert is a brilliant medic. I am almost certain he would be able to treat any wound treatable in the arena.” Jekyll said quickly, smiling at Robert. 

“You two are hopeless. Sit down and eat, might as well enjoy one of your last meals before it gets cold.” Lucy told them.

_ Ha, she certainly doesn’t like you! Oh my god is she amazing, though!”  _ Hyde laughed as Jekyll and Lanyon took their seats.

“How are medical skills and the ability to stay fed useless?” Jekyll demanded.

“Simple. Staying fed only matters if you can keep that food to yourself, and stay alive to eat it. Medical skills only matter if you aren’t dead before you can patch the wounds. Do either of you two have any  _ offensive  _ skills?”

_ Tell her about some of  _ my _ skills, maybe she won’t be so disappointed. Surely she would like my abilities more than yours!  _

Jekyll couldn’t do that or Lucy would want a demonstration. Which he couldn’t give. Their skills were not interchangeable. Just because Hyde could gut someone without really trying didn’t mean Jekyll could, and similarly, Hyde was hopeless when it came to remembering what poisonous plants looked like, or the ones he could eat, and could not set a trap to save his life.

“No.” He confessed finally. 

Lucy pursed her dark, glossed lip, thinking for a moment. “I can't help you. I can't teach you an offensive skill in three days, neither can the instructors in the Training Center.” 

“So you're just going to give up on us?” Jekyll asked. 

That seemed to get Hyde's attention.  _ Wait. Don't do that, then I don't get to see you and I'm already not going to get to talk to you! _

Great, of course Hyde worried about that and not the fact that if Lucy gave up on them, Robert was doomed. Jekyll, obviously, had no combat skills but Hyde had a lot. Robert had none.

“We’ll have to see.”

“See what?” Lanyon asked, narrowing his eyes. 

“How incompetent you really are. If you're handed a weapon, can you figure out how to use it or is your motto ‘stick them with the pointy end.’ Things like that will determine if you're worth my time.” Lucy replied. 

_ Stick them with the pointy end is advice they give the careers when they're five. _ Hyde scoffed.  _ How much do you want to bet that that's the best Lanyon knows.  _

Jekyll forced himself not to answer, even if he wanted to yell at Hyde to shut up. 

“I know a little bit better than just ‘stick them with the pointy end.’” Jekyll said mildly. “And Robert learns quickly.” 

“At the very least they both speak well. They can use the ill-fated lovers thing to gain crowd support.” Emma offered, taking a sip of her wine.

“No.” Lanyon said quickly, glancing over at Jekyll, a bite of pork raised halfway to his mouth. Jekyll had actually forgotten they had a meal at all. “No, we won't play that card. We’re not being the Capital’s tragic lovers for them to cry over when we die in the games.” 

“Then what would you like me to make you out to be?” Emma asked, clearly getting frustrated. “You aren’t tough, I doubt you just want to go with sex appeal, you're not witty, you sure haven't charmed anyone but each other, we can't even go with sweet and innocent, you aren't children anymore!”

“I don't know. Typically, our image is one of the things that are  _ not _ our problem, they're yours. I'm just telling you that we aren't playing tragic lovers. So figure something else out.” Lanyon snapped. 

Jekyll looked at him in surprise. Emma gave a small smile.

“That I can't work with.” She laughed. “You've got a bit of temper, I didn't expect that!” She remarked. 

“And what about you, Henry. You haven't shown any of us anything to use.” Lucy remarked, raising an eyebrow. 

_ Ugh. Even Lanyon has more spunk than you. _ Hyde complained.  _ When I finally show up, Lucy's gonna think I'm lame like you. _

“I don't know what  _ you'll  _ make me into. Not a tragic lover, though.” Jekyll replied.

“Well, you're going to have to give us something to work with. Eat your dinner. Emma and I have other things to do.” Lucy told him, and got to her feet. Emma rose as well, they left the room holding hands. 

“Like each other.” Jekyll muttered to Lanyon, who snorted, then found himself coughing wine all over the table as he had just tried to take a sip.

“Henry!” He cried, looking scandalized. 

“You and the rest of District 1 know I’m right, though!” Henry laughed, covering his mouth with his hand. 

_ I can’t even tell you off for mocking her, you’re totally right. Did you see the looks they were giving each other all through supper?  _ Hyde laughed.

Robert sighed. “I suppose I do, but truly,I am not convinced that I want to know that much about our escort and trainer’s sex lives.” He decided. “Hurry up and eat, your meal is getting cold.”

Jekyll nodded, cut himself a bite of pork and stuffed it in his mouth. 

It was admittedly delicious, if a little cold. Henry had not eaten in a while, and quickly cut a few more bites.

“Someone’s hungry.” Robert teased, laughing a little bit and finishing the last of his meal. “So, besides the sex joke, what did you think of our esteemed instructor?”

Jekyll shrugged. “While she does not impress me, and seems unimpressed by us, she has been through a lot. As much as she enjoyed her games, she still… she still went through the games. That is not easy on anyone, not even Queen Lucy.” 

Robert nodded appreciatively. “I suppose you must be right, in that respect. Who knows. One of us may know that well by the end of the month.” He remarked. 

“God, I hope not, if it makes you as nasty as she is!” Jekyll had to joke, or else he may cry. Only one of them would know by the end of the month, if any. And it would only be one of them. One of them would have had to have died already.

He couldn’t stand the idea. He had to think of something else or he would start to cry again.

“Who knows, if we do something especially impressive they may let that one of us take over for training the new tributes. Give them a decent trainer who doesn’t exist to tear them down.” Lanyon suggested with a smile.

“No, Emma would never stand for that, this is some of the only time she gets to spend with Lucy.” Jekyll said, rolling his eyes. “The president should just give in and allow one of them to move to live with the other.”

“I’m sure there is something more complicated than that. Now, are you done eating yet?” 

Jekyll looked down at his plate. He had eaten all the pork, but the greens and mashed potatoes remained. “Yes.” He decided that he did not want to eat them, he would rather get back to the privacy of his own room.

“Good. Come with me.” Lanyon took his hand and led Jekyll back down the hall, and into his room.

“I have my own room, I believe-”

“They never said you had to use it. If we won’t be public about this, I can respect that decision, but that means we have to end it all when the games start. If we’re doing that, Henry, I’m using every second we get of the three days before the games to be with you.” Lanyon told him.

Jekyll couldn’t find a reason to argue, only hugged Lanyon tightly.

_ Ugh. Your sappiness is making me sick. _


	5. Chapter 5

Someone knocked sharply on the door to Jekyll's room. "Time to get up! We're nearly at the Capitol, you need to get up and meet them!" Emma ordered, her heels clicking up the hall as she went to knock on Lanyon's door the same way. "Up, up up up! Wake up! You need to make up for the atrocious introduction you made during the reaping!" Her heels clicked some more, the and rapping returned to Jekyll's door, distant from the boys. "Come on, I'm not leaving until you both answer me! Up you get!"    
"I'm awake, enough!" Jekyll shouted, rolling out of bed and getting up to stretch. God, he hoped she wouldn't notice that his voice came from the wrong room. But she likely would.   
"Good! You have half an hour to be at breakfast. Make sure you shower and shave, the stylists will torture you less if you do!" Emma paused. "No, actually, they won't, but do it anyways." She corrected. "Come on, Robert, get up!" She shouted.    
"Robert! Robert, wake up!" Jekyll hissed, shaking Robert's shoulder. "We're going to get in trouble, wake up!"    
Robert groaned and stretched a bit. "I'm awake, Miss Carew!" He called. "Thank you for waking me!"   
"If you two want to pretend you're not involved, you'd best not share a bedroom in the Training Center!" Emma warned. "I can't help you if the word breaks out without my help!"    
Jekyll sighed. "Yes, Miss Carew!" He agreed. But he didn't really care. He didn't have a concern about that. It wouldn't get out.    
"Don't be late!" Emma said, and her heels clicked down the hall again.    
Jekyll sighed and gave Lanyon a quick kiss. "Go and take a shower, I'll clean myself up a bit and then we can switch." He offered     
Lanyon nodded, sat up and walked to the bathroom.    
Jekyll took a deep breath, stretched again, yawned. Followed Lanyon into the bathroom, ran the tap, splashed cold water on his pale face.    
He did not want to be here. This was terrible. He had half a mind to open a window and jump  out of the fast-moving train.    
_ Don't you dare! _ Hyde cried.  _ If we're going to die we're going to die in the games, not like pussies to scared too face the games!  _

But did Hyde have a say, if he did it right now? Left the bathroom and simply… leapt? Surely Hyde couldn’t stop him, he wasn’t in control.

_ I can be, before you make it to the window, and we’ll have blown the secret to Lanyon. Is it worth it?  _ Hyde asked, sneering from the mirror.  _ Is a failed attempt worth it to you? Is one act of stubbornness worth Lanyon’s distrust, when I will ensure you fail?  _

It wasn’t. Of course it wasn’t. Hyde was right yet again, as much as Jekyll hated it, Hyde was right. Why did he have to be right?

He sighed, ducked his head, splashed his face with water again. 

He had best shave, wash his face brush his teeth. He did not have a lot of time and bickering with Hyde was not going to save him. Hyde would not allow him to do anything to save himself and he knew that.

He would face the games.

He had only just shaved yesterday, but he took a shaving foam, rubbed it onto his cheeks and  haphazardly dragged a razor down his skin, only barely caring not to nick himself. The stylists would inevitably just redo it anyways, why bother doing a nice job on it?

There was only one toothbrush in the room. Besides, he would need clothes to wear, so he had better walk down the hall to his own room and grab some things.

Before leaving the room, he put the locket from his mother back around his neck. He didn’t want to leave it somewhere by accident.

It was his one symbol of home. Of his family. His token representing what he did get to keep, even if it stung that Robert Lanyon wasn’t a part of it.

_ I swear to god, Henry, if you don’t stop all this romantic pining nonsense I will take over, consequences be damned! I will not deal with this for the next god knows how long! _

“You will deal with whatever I tell you to deal with. It’s what, four days? And then you can go nuts and do whatever you would like in the arena. You can deal with what I want to do for three days.”

_ You said three days yesterday. Now it’s four.  _

“I miscounted. And today counts in those four days.” Jekyll told him.

Hyde did not look sold on this arrangement, arms folded across his chest, a scowl painted on his face. His sides were going green and fuzzy.

“Don’t you even think about it. I’m not going to listen to you and you’ll only spill our secret for no reason, or make us look a fool. You stay where you’re supposed to be right now.” 

Hyde huffed, but his figure went back to being solid, so it was a win for Jekyll.  _ You’d better mean that. Once we’re in the arena.  _ I’m _ in control. I won’t be following your wants and orders any longer. You may have the survival skills, but  _ I  _ am the asset in there. Not you. _

“I want say over what you do to Robert.”

_ No way. You’ll make me allow him to kill me so that he can win! _ Hyde protested, shaking his head, puffy mane of blond hair flying out around him.

“What if I don’t. What if I only demand that  _ if  _ you have to kill him, if we’re the last two, if no one else has done it for us… that you do it with mercy. Because I know you don’t intend to kill anyone else with mercy.” Jekyll offered. 

_ All I have to do is leave him for last and be merciful about it?  _ Hyde didn’t seem to believe that.  _ You swear it? No interference from you, I can do what I have to do? You’ll just let me kill him? No last-minute pleading to spare him and allow him to kill us? Sounds too good to be true. _

“I swear it, Hyde. Meet those two easy criteria, and… and I’ll allow you to do it.”

Hyde frown curled into a twisted smile.  _ Then you have yourself a deal.  _ The blond decided, green eyes shining. 

Jekyll hated himself for making the deal, he didn’t want to agree to let Hyde kill Lanyon, but Hyde was going to cause trouble if he didn’t agree, if he didn’t agree to something. 

So he looked away from the mirror, and walked out of the room and down the hall. 

Stepped into his own room, grabbed his toothbrush, set it near the door.

Walked into the closet. “Shit.”

_ Wowzers. They want you looking nice before you die! _ Hyde laughed. 

“Yeah, and you’re not getting a say in what I put on. You think that a cape with holes torn in it is fashion.” Jekyll retorted, rolling his red eyes and picking out a very simple, pale red shirt and a pair of black slacks.

_ I look better than you do. You look boring, literally every day. _

Jekyll shook his head and walked his toothbrush and clothes back to Lanyon’s room. Quickly brushed his teeth, and by then Lanyon was out of the shower, so he got in. 

Let the hot water pound at his skin for a while, before finally beginning to wash up. Emma, and Lucy, would be mad if he was late getting out to greet the Capitol. 

He stepped out, Hyde was mercifully silent for a few minutes while he got dressed.

Walked up to Robert and gave him a hug. “We should go, Lucy and Emma will be waiting for us…” He suggested.

“Or we could spend a few extra minutes here, and not worry about them.” Robert suggested, kissing his cheek.

He almost agreed. He wanted to as much time with Lanyon as he could get. 

But it would never work out to avoid Lucy and Emma. He shook his head. “I’m sorry, Robert, we shouldn’t. It will only get us into more trouble that we don’t need to be in.” He decided, heaving a sigh. “I don’t want to either, but it’s more trouble than it’s worth to piss them off.” He said softly, gave Robert a quick kiss and extracted himself from the brunet’s arms. 

Robert sighed but nodded. “Well then. We have breakfast and our big hello, and then I suppose I will see you for the Opening Ceremonies.” 

“Don’t let those stylist creeps dress you up too ridiculously.” Jekyll teased, laughing a little bit. 

“Just remember, you’ll match me and inevitably look even worse!” Robert said, snickering and kissing Jekyll’s forehead. 

“Why aren’t you even wrong?” Jekyll sighed, gave him one last kiss, and walked to the door. Lanyon followed short behind him.

“You two took your sweet time.” Lucy remarked, a sour look on her face. Her dark painted lips were pursed into a frown. “Eat quickly. It may just be through a window but you have to make a good impression, is that clear? It will be the only thing I can work with!” 

“She’s right.” Emma warned. Unlike her partner, her makeup was soft and simply and today, a pale purple. Her skin still shone the way it had yesterday. “If you don’t give us something better today, we’ll be screwed. We won’t be able to make the public like you. That includes at the opening ceremonies, too. Everything you do today has to be for the Capitol.”

“Like it or not.” Lucy added. “Em, sorry, but you may not get this part, being from the Capitol. I know you hate this, but you’ve gotta pretend you don’t. Put on a show. Smile, wave, catch flowers, you have a leg up, being from District 1. They’re already paying attention to you, more than they would District 11 or 12. But you have to use that advantage.” She warned.

“Precisely. Now eat up and be ready soon.” Emma told them, and walked away. 

How she was balancing on the heels she was wearing was beyond Jekyll’s comprehension. Neither one of the ladies in the room had practical shoes on. Lucy had knee high, dark, dark red leather boots, also with heels. 

“The stylists had better not put us in those.” Jekyll motioned to the shoes. Lanyon snorted.

“The stylists will put you in whatever they choose. You two won’t argue. Whatsoever. Is that clear? Even I don’t get to argue with your stylists.” Lucy said, raising an eyebrow.

Jekyll and Lanyon were silent. Lucy waited expectantly for a few moments. “Are you two going to agree, or are we going to have a staring contest?”

“Oh! Right! Of course, Miss Harris, no arguing!” Jekyll agreed. Lanyon nodded.

Lucy’s lip curled in disgust. “Pair of pushovers.” She walked away. 

Jekyll glanced over at Lanyon. “Well, if that was a test, we failed.” He remarked.

“No kidding.” Lanyon sighed. “What does she want from us, anyways? Compliance or rebellion? If we show up later than Emma said to, there’s trouble, but if we agree with that Lucy says…”

“There’s also trouble. Face it, Robert, we’re fighting a losing battle. There is absolutely no winning with those two. They’ve decided we’re doomed.” 

_ You could let me change their minds. Transform in front of Lucy, in private, and I’ll deal with her. At least then she wouldn’t be given up on you, just Robert. _

Jekyll couldn’t do that. Someone might see, or worse, Lucy might decide that was the angle to take with him and force him to reveal it before the games. “Nonsense. She liked the spirit you had when you told her off yesterday, try and channel that back!”

“I only manage that tone while dealing with my father, or people acting like him. And it’s mostly to defend you to him.” Lanyon said honestly. “Which means you know exactly how well it normally works.”

“Well, it impresses Lucy, so just pretend she’s your father, talking shit about me again. Actually, you don’t have to pretend that part, she is normally talking shit about us.” Jekyll laughed, sitting down to eat some of the food that was laid out for them.

“I suppose you have a point there!” Lanyon agreed, laughing. “She really doesn’t like you in particular.”

“Adults tend not to like me. Not a clue why they don’t, but hey, not up to me. I’m not obedient enough to be a favourite child and I’m not nasty enough to just be the one everyone leaves to do as they please.” Jekyll guessed. 

“What you need to do, my dear Henry, is put your pretty smile to work.” Lanyon told him, smirking. 

“And what do you mean by that?” Jekyll asked. 

“Talk less, and just smile. You have a pretty smile, learn to use it and people will like you a lot more.” Lanyon advises. “No offense, I love your voice, but people don’t tend to like it when you speak up.”

Jekyll huffed. “I suppose you may have a point. So I should just smile and not say anything through this whole interview and everything?” He asked. 

“No, definitely not! You have to talk in the interview, just be very happy and smiley and friendly. Pretty you have to woo over the audience with what you say, because you do. But don’t do it by being sexy or angry or threatening.” Lanyon told him.

_ Actually, yeah, he’s right. Do that. You can’t do anything better than that.  _ Hyde decided.  _ I hate that he’s right, but he is right. _

“Alright, I guess I’ll do that.”

“You’ll do great. I believe you can win the audience. You speak well when you’re trying to please.” Lanyon said. 

Jekyll nodded and ate a few more bites of his breakfast. “I suppose I’d better, or I really will be screwed in there.” He agreed.

Lanyon nodded. “You’ll do great.”

“Boys! Boys, get over here!” Emma called, turning around from the window. “We’ve reached the Capitol!”

Jekyll sighed and got to his feet.

“Smile, Henry!” Lanyon reminded him, poking his side. Jekyll laughed a little bit, moved away, and walked over to the window.

The city was gathered around the train, crowds of people with ridiculous style and fashions and brightly coloured hair and skin and makeup. 

“Wave, smile, impress the crowd. Believe it or not, they’re watching for you.” Lucy told them.

Lanyon complied immediately. Jekyll didn’t feel like it, but he listened anyways. 

_ Smile, Henry. _ Hyde mocked.  _ It’s the only way you’ll survive this game, until you let  _ me  _ handle it. _

Jekyll sighed and forced a smile, waving out the window to the crowd of people gathered for a look of two of their twenty-four possible victors. 

“You two had enough problems at dinner yesterday, so tonight, after the Opening Ceremonies, or tomorrow morning before you go to the Training Center, I want you to watch the highlights of the Reaping. Just to see the other candidates when they aren’t all dressed up for the ceremonies.” Lucy told them.


	6. Chapter 6

“Hey!” Jekyll flinched as the woman with bright blue skin pulled the robe he had only just been offered off his shoulders.

He had already been attacked by the prep team, had every inch of his skin scrubbed down raw, every hair on his body plucked, waxed or shaved, unless they wanted it there. His nails had been cut and filed, his hair recut and left to fall into its normal shape, which was good, he was hoping that it would be left like that. He couldn’t stand products in his hair. He’d been doused in about twenty different substances, all for different purposes, and had also gotten to give up just about every semblance of his dignity allowing them to fuss over his entirely naked body.

Hence why he was so upset to have the thin white robe he had just been given yanked off of him so that yet another person could scope out his body.

“The prep team did a good job with you.” She remarked. 

“Yeah. Can I have that robe back, by any chance?” He asked, smiling hopeful.

“Certainly not.” She replied, throwing it to the side.

Great. Just great. He just  _ loved  _ standing like a plucked bird, completely naked in front of complete strangers. “Can I get a name, then?”

“My name is Cynthia.” She replied. “Your friend Lanyon has my brother, Cyrus, as his stylist.” She replied. “We’re quite excited for this year, it’s been a while since we did an style choice like this one.” She explained. 

“Great.” Jekyll muttered. “Can we get on with it? I would like to get some clothes back on sometime soon.” He said with a pleasant smile.

_ Smile, Henry. _ He had to remember that. Lanyon had said to smile.

_ Yeah, smile, Henry. I mean, think about it, it could be worse. You could be… attracted to her. _

Jekyll nearly choked at the thought. Yep, Hyde definitely had a point. Things were bad, but they could be a whole lot worse.

“So. Coming from District 1, this must not be much of a change for you, is it?” Cynthia predicted, stalking around the brunet. Jekyll felt distinctly uncomfortable and wanted to tell her to stop, but the warning not to argue with the stylists was still on his mind. Apparently, that included surrendering any right to privacy that he had once thought he had. “No, not really…” He agreed, not in the mood to make small talk, but maybe she would hurry up with this if he did.

_ Oh, quit whining! So some people are going to poke around at you! They aren’t taking notes! You took notes about me when I first appeared, and you made me parade around just like they’re doing to you! _ Hyde complained.  _ So you can suck it up and deal with it now! Just like I did for you! _

Jekyll knew he was right. He had, indeed, made Hyde allow him to observe his creation, making the blond project himself out of the mirror as Jekyll walked around him, much like Cynthia was doing now.

So he really had no right to complain, he supposed. He had best simply deal with whatever Cynthia insisted on doing to him. 

“Alright. Step this way, the costumes Cyrus and I had prepared will fit you.” She decided.

“So I can put some clothes on now?” Jekyll asked.

Cynthia snorted. “Yes, you can.” She agreed, stepping into a closet and pulling out a package. “Hmmm, yes, Cyrus was right about the colours. Red for you, of course, you had red accents on television during the reaping, we already knew that would work perfectly, the purple was a gamble for your fellow tribute but it shall suit him well as well.” She decided. Opened up the package and handed him some underclothes, which he pulled on gratefully. At least now he was partially covered. 

So he could live with that. 

The next item was a white dress shirt, or so Jekyll thought, until it was pulled onto his shoulders. 

It was probably still a dress shirt, to be fair. But not like on he had seen anyone wear before. It was loose, the seams of the shoulders didn't sit on his shoulders, it was odd. 

“It's a Capitol design. I know you don't wear anything quite like it in District 1, but we aren't just here to represent. If we dress you like District 1, you'll simply be unimpressive. We have to step it up a little bit.” She explained, buttoning down the shirt. 

It was a curious design. The sleeves at glimmering threads of bronze running up them. Normally Jekyll didn't like anything glitzy like that, but in this case it wasn't too terrible. It was actually sort of fanciful and tasteful, which was new, for the capitol. Nothing they did was tasteful around this place.

Besides this shirt. “What do you think?” Cynthia asked, smiling a little bit. 

“It isn’t as terrible as it could be.” He confessed. 

“Good.” Cynthia smiled, took out a pair of long black slacks, with the same style of bronze threading running up the legs. “Here, put these on.” 

The brunet complied, pulling the slacks on. They were soft, well-fitted, fell right down to his ankles. Creased smartly. The metallic thread shimmered in the light. “These are nice.” He admitted.

The stylist with the blue skin nodded. “I had hoped you would like them.” She said, crouching to straighten out the pants. “Tuck the shirt in, I had thought you would know that.” She scolded.

“Oh! Right.” He laughed, a little self-conscious, and tucked in the white shirt into the new pants. “There.”

Cynthia smiled. “Better. Just a few more things…” 

The next item out of the package was a red waistcoat buttoned with bronzy buttons. He was expecting a tie or something along the lines out of that to be next, but instead it was a lighter red scarf with the same bronze accents as everything else. Cynthia must have spent ten minutes arranging it to sit how she wanted it to.

“So, last thing is shoes. What have you got in store for those?” Jekyll teased, smirking a little bit.

“Nothing too fancy. Just some dress shoes.” Cynthia replied. “No thigh-highs for you.” 

“I can’t say that I’m not relieved about that.” Jekyll admitted.

He was handed a pair of black glossy shoes with bronze accents. He crouched down and tied them up, stood up and dusted himself off.

“So? Am I done?” He asked.

Cynthia scoffed. “Absolutely not! We still have to do your makeup.” 

Jekyll groaned.

\---

Henry was fairly sure he looked absolutely ridiculous, with the red and white and bronze drawn on half of his face. Cynthia was absolutely certain that he looked lovely.

So they would have to see what the Capitol thought of him.

On the other hand… Robert was wearing almost the same thing, with purple rather than red, and he looked damnably, mouth-wateringly gorgeous. So maybe he didn’t look stupid, either. Maybe Cynthia was right.

Cynthia, who was squealing with her brother. Her brother was green where she was blue, and they hadn’t stopped gushing about the tributes and how well they had done in dressing the both of them. 

“They remind me of what you put Simon in, in my year.” Lucy remarked. 

“It’s a similar style. Your year was the most recent one that we based the costumes off of that particular style, until this one.”

“You’re trying to go reminiscent of my year. The year I banded the female tributes together and killed all the male tributes, in a year when District 1 is presenting two male tributes. Are you  _ trying  _ to paint targets on their backs that are bigger than the ones they painted themselves, during the reaping?”

“Lucy, be polite.” Emma scolded. “They look charming.”

“Fine. That’s the appeal they’re going to have to go for, anyways, they’ll have to literally trick and charm the audience into liking them, so may as well start now.” Lucy decided. “I still don’t think this was the wisest fashion choice you’ve ever made.” She told the stylists. 

“Which is why you’re the trainor, and we’re the stylists.” Cyrus snapped. “Lucy, you have never once approved of any costume we have made, including the ones we made for you. So, if you would kindly just quit the criticism, Cynthia and I will handle the costumes, since they’ve worked every other year.” 

Lucy stared at him for a solid minute. “Fine.” She sniffled, turned her nose up and stalked away.

Jekyll couldn’t help but turn to Robert and laugh a little. “He actually shut  _ Lucy _ up!” He giggled.   
“I wouldn’t advise you try it, I’ve had a lot of years practice. You wouldn’t have that sort of success.” Cyrus warned, walking over and carefully pushing both boy’s sleeves up to their elbows, fussing over the folds. It seemed an awful lot of work to push up sleeves and then sit and fight with them until they sat exactly how you wanted them to, but he wasn’t going to argue with Cynthia nor Cyrus. 

“You two are going to dazzle the crowds!” Cynthia decided, grinning brilliantly. 

“I hope so.” Robert muttered.

It wasn’t long before they were ushered out to the horse-drawn carts each set of tributes was paraded around in. “Up you get, you two, and make nice with the crowd. Smile, wave, catch flowers,blow kisses… you heard Lucy, she’s not all wrong. You two need to charm the audience. You can both do it, too. You just have to try.” Emma advised, helping them both climb up, though lord knew how she kept her own balance with her fancy heels, never mind helped them get theirs. “You two have as nice of a time as you can, alright?” She instructed.

Robert and Henry both nodded. “Promise to catch me if I fall?” Henry whispered.

“Only if you’ll do the same.” Robert replied.

“Deal.” Henry agreed, they shook hands. 

“We can at least fall off together, that way.” Robert laughed.

_ You two make me want to throw up. Just stop, you’ll kill each other soon and I’d rather not deal with the romance before that. _ Hyde complained.

“Tough.” Henry muttered to the blond. 

And the cart lurched to life before Hyde could make another comment, and just like they had figured, both Henry and Robert nearly fell out before getting their balance and growing used to the jerky movement.

Henry sort of forgot the movement when they pulled out into the crowd. For a few solid moments he forgot everything Emma had told him, and just stared.

The crowd was huge. Even bigger than the crowd that had met the train, more people than Jekyll had ever seen in his life. It was incredible, if a little offensive, that they all turned up to see him die.

Then Robert elbowed him and he remembered to smile. His hand lifted like it had a mind of his own to wave, and it was like someone had flipped a switch.

He knew how to act. He knew what to do. 

They both did. He and Robert. Henry could tell even as they rode down towards the center, waving and smiling and all around enticing more and more cheers, which enticed more and more reactions from them.

“We’re pretty good at this, aren’t we?” Henry asked softly.

“I suppose we are!” Lanyon agreed, blowing a kiss back towards the crowds. “Keep it up!” 

Henry nodded.

The horses took their time walking down the lane, they had to give everyone a chance to see the tributes, after all. Henry didn’t mind as much as he thought he would. 

Which was a relief. He had thought he would hate this part.

Finally, the horses were stopped in the spot for District 1. Henry watched with interest as the rest of the districts filed in.

There were two men, both younger than him, from District 2, dressed in long black clothes. The lucky bastards had no ridiculous makeup, but one of their entire faces was covered with a mask and a set of goggles.The other had a brilliant smile and a moustache. He was a little young for that moustache. Jekyll would have guessed both of them around thirteen or fourteen.

Probably more scared to be there than he was. 

DIstrict three was a pair, both dark skinned and curly haired, a girl and boy. It was impossible to tell their ages, they were in that stage where they could be fifteen or twenty. Clearly, they were under eighteen. Jekyll didn’t envy the girl, with points sticking off her dress. The man was much luckier, in just a suit. 

He had some form of gadget over one of his eyes. Henry had to wonder if he would be allowed to wear it in the games, if it was there for prosthetic reasons. If it had any other functions than just normal vision, it could be counted as an unfair advantage.

Either way, neither looked impressive. 

District 4 were dressed as old-time pirates, right down to the hats and long coats. That district was a man with spectacles, and another with bushy white hair and an eyepatch.

The taller one, with the glasses, looked formidable. Henry would have to watch out. 

District 5, for power, a man and woman with circuitry patterns on their blue dress and waistcoat. The man had a scar across is right eye. The woman’s face fell into one of disgust when she was done getting to the center. 

Neither one of them particularly worried him. 

District 6 were pilots, one man incredibly pale, white haired and seemingly permanently annoyed, he’d had the same look during the reaping, if he remembered correctly. He was the first pair of black sunglasses Henry spotted. Henry doubted either were problems.

The girl from District 7 was pretty, dressed as a woodland faerie. She had scars on her face and wild hair. She was clearly not to me messed with, though, looked like she’d tear him apart for fun. Her fellow tribute, on the other hand, was terrifying with no pretty illusion to hide it. He had wild, grey-brown hair, a mad look in his eyes, and gave Henry the creeps.

He could kill Henry. Easily. It was written all over him.

District 8 had a tribute who was easily six or seven feet tall, covered in long scars. The woman with him seemed to be being looked after by him.

Clearly both problems. They did not smile, glared at the surrounding area like everyone there were their enemies.

He wouldn’t put money on Hyde against those two. 

_ Hey! _

District 9 mayde Jekyll’s heart hurt. Two younger tributes, no older than fifteen, and they rode into the arena hand in hand. A young boy in a floppy hat, a girl with pigtails and bright green eyes. 

The poor things hadn’t given up, like he and Robert had. He envied and pitied them. They would be popular. The tragic love story. Romeo and Juliet. 

What a shame. 

The boy wouldn’t put up much of a fight. Jekyll was almost sure. The girl… the girl had a gleam in her eyes that suggested there was more to her.

District 10, a pair of woman. One with a stern face, the second pair of black sunglasses, and elegantly styled white hair. The other was younger, had a bright smile, blushed easily. They both wore long, dark cloaks, the younger had a shepherd's crook. The older clearly meant business and could handle herself, Jekyll doubted the younger could. 

District 11 was two men in coveralls with straw hats. One, small and round, with long, pale brown hair and a long mustache, was smiling the whole time, the other looked uncomfortable. Neither seemed formidable.

District 12 was last, as always. They did not pretend to be happy. They were two men around his age, smeared in coal dust, dressed in yellow aprons that went down to their shoes, and hard hats with lights on them. One had bright orange hair, and two scuffed, messy prosthetic arms, stray wires and gears poking out of them. The other dark hair, a short, small beard. 

Clearly, as usual, District 12 would not be putting up much of a fight.

As he observed each tribute, and then looked back at Robert, in his purple waistcoat and long black slacks, the strange, swirly patterns of bronze and purple on his cheek… it occured to Jekyll for the first time that he was sizing up his enemies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> District 1- Luxury: Jekyll (17), Lanyon (18)  
> District 2- Masonry: Mosley (14), Doddle (15)  
> District 3- Technology: Pennebrygg (16), Flowers (15)  
> District 4- Fishing: Helsby (17), Maijabi (18)  
> District 5- Power: Tweedy (15), Ito (16)  
> District 6- Transport: Bryson (17), Griffin (17)  
> District 7- Lumber: Morcant (18), Moreau (18)  
> District 8- Textiles: Frankie (18), Creature (14)  
> District 9- Grain: Jasper (14), Rachel (15)  
> District 10- Livestock: Lavender (14), Cantilupe (18)  
> District 11- Agriculture: Bird (18), Archer (16)  
> District 12- Mining: Sinnett (15), Luckett (16)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good news, folks! If you thought my descriptions of the opening ceremonies costumes were insufficient, that's okay! Hop on over to my Tumblr, closetosomethingreal-1337, and search the tag "tgs hunger games". So far you'll find districts 1-4, plus an old doodle someone else did of when we ran way too many Hunger Games simulators on a discord server. If you could could them a like and reblog if you like them it would mean the world to me!

“Up! Up up up get up you both have training today!” Emma called, knocking sharply on the door to Robert’s room. She had apparently just accepted that her tributes lived in the same room, and had conceded to help them hide it. 

Jekyll groaned, shifted a little, found himself wrapped up in Lanyon's arms. 

He smiled, pecked the other man's lips with his own. “We’re up, Miss Carew!” He called. 

“Alright, I still want to hear from Robert, Henry!” Emma warned. 

Of course she did. She knew when her tributes tried to pull a fast one on her, even only a couple days in. Henry was trying to let Robert have just a touch more sleep. He could use it. 

“Robert!” Emma warned, knocking on the door again. “Don't make me come in there and embarrass you both!” 

Robert blinked his warm brown eyes open. “I'm awake, Miss Carew!” He called. 

“Good! Down for breakfast in fifteen minutes, both of you!” Emma told them. Her heels clicked down the hall of the Training Center. 

Robert sighed and gave Henry a good morning kiss. They were running out of mornings to share them. In just three short days they would wake up on the last morning and be prepared for the games. 

This was the fourth last. He wasn't ready. 

“Come on, Henry…” Robert muttered. “We shouldn't keep them waiting. Not today.” 

_ Hmm, I wonder what Lucy will be teaching you. _

Great. It was too early in the morning for Hyde to be awake. 

_ I agree with that, actually, but I don't get a say. If you're awake I'm awake. You know that. _

He supposed Hyde had a point. The blond couldn't sleep, not on his own, so the moment Jekyll was awake, he was alert. 

It was absolutely draining. Every second of every day.

_ I'm not so bad. _ Hyde argued, sitting down on the bed the moment Robert had left to go and take a shower. 

“You're pretty bad, Hyde. At least since we got here." Jekyll told him. 

_ I'm just excited! This is what you made me for, remember? Hey, do I get to explore this place? Or meet Lucy? _

“No and no.” Jekyll replied. Hyde opened his mouth to complain. “Hear me out!” 

_ What’s your deal?  _ Hyde asked.  _ I want to see this place too. To talk to these people too. _

“You can't meet anyone before the games. If we win, you can absolutely come out in the Capitol and meet and explore who and where they'll let you.” Jekyll offered. “I know there's a risk we don't get out, but I can't let our one advantage slip out before we’re in the arena, got it?” 

Hyde pretended to consider, green eyes rolling up and staring at the ceiling. 

“Come on, Edward. It's only a risk if you think you can’t win it for us. I would understand if you did, couldn't blame you, it's tough compe-"

_ I can do it!  _ Hyde snapped, just like Jekyll had known he would. Hyde wouldn't be questioned on this, and Jekyll had counted on it. 

“Then we should have a deal.” Jekyll said with a smile. 

_ Fine. _ Hyde agreed.  _ Just don't forget the other one we made. No matter what's in my way, I'm getting back to the Capitol. _

“Understood.” 

Hyde faded away as Lanyon walked back into the room. “Haven't you started getting ready yet, Henry?” He asked. 

Jekyll shook his head. “Was waiting for you to get out of the shower.” 

“You can do other things while I'm in the shower, Henry. God, you're a mess sometimes.” Robert said affectionately, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. “You go and shower, I’ll sort this out, I guess.”

Jekyll nodded. Got to his feet, headed to the bathroom, stripped down and showered quickly. 

Stepped out to find that Robert, using his impeccable taste and impatience when it came to Henry stalling in the morning had already picked something for him to wear to training. 

He pulled a dark red tunic over his head, and the black pants on, which was when he realized he had done that in backwards order and spent a few minutes straightening the tunic over the pants. “Well you sure listened to the stylists. You in purple, Robert?” 

“Don't kid yourself. I didn’t pick these they were the only things left in the closet for us. We'll be matching. I don't think Lucy gave the “not partners” memo to Cynthia and Cyrus.” Robert remarked. 

“No matter. Did you see District 9? We’re safe.” Henry told him. “They rode into the ceremonies hand in hand. They’re the Romeo and Juliet of the games.” He continued, sighing. “The poor things.” 

Robert nodded, stepping into the bathroom in, sure enough, a dark, greyish-purple tunic and black pants. He also had black boots on. “You done in here?” He asked. 

“Nearly.” 

“We’re going to be late, Henry, and Lucy won't be happy.” Robert said. 

“She's never happy.” Henry said, grabbing a toothbrush.

“Hurry.” Robert said, and left the room. 

_ Romeo and Juliet are named Rachel Pidgley and Jasper Kaylock. And since I can't ruin your tragic lovers thing and make you two stop, I'll take it out on them and go after one of them first. All this sappy shit makes me sick. _ Hyde remarked, sitting on the counter. 

He was dressed for the occasion, identical to Henry, but his tunic was forest green. Not that it mattered what he wore, no one but Henry could see. “You know you match Robert now too, right? And you're a terrible man.” But it wasn't like he would stop Hyde going after District 9. Kills were up to Hyde. 

_ Gah! Gross!  _ Hyde complained, and was immediately back in his typical cloak, green vest and white shirt.  _ And I'm not terrible. Just sick of your romance so I have to ruin someone else’s. _

“Go after the boy to warm up. He looked like an easier target.”

_ I know. Then I'll figure out what to do with Miss Pidgley. _ Hyde agreed.  _ No brush your teeth. You're about to drool toothpaste on yourself. _

Jekyll barely managed to grab a towel in time as Hyde dissipated from the counter.

Jekyll left the bathroom a few minutes later. “Alright, let's go.” He said to Robert.

Breakfast was quick. Neither Jekyll nor Lanyon wanted separate training, they wanted to spend every moment they could with each other, so it was easy to arrange the schedule. 

“Meet the other tributes.” Emma told them. “You need to play friendly.” 

“But avoid the careers.” Lucy added. “They won't be your friends, you aren't like them whatsoever.” 

“District 9 looked friendly, maybe we should try them.” Robert remarked. 

Hyde snorted.  _ I doubt Rachel Pidgey will be friendly when I kill her Juliet. I wonder how she’ll react to that? I can't kill him in the blood bath, I won't be there… but it'll be even better for them to survive it and then have their hope of surviving ruined!  _

God, Hyde had a problem. “I suppose they did.” Henry forced himself to agree. “They didn't seem like assets to me, though.” 

“Okay… District 4?” 

“Careers.” Lucy reminded Robert. 

“Right. What about 5?” 

Jekyll thought of them. The man with the scar across his eye, the tall girl with a constant disapproving look on her face. Maybe they would be helpful in the arena. 

_ Good bait, maybe. I don't need help.  _ Hyde complained. 

“Try both of them today. District 9 and District 5. Maybe talk to 7 and 8 as well.” Lucy advised. 

“7 and 8 would slit our throats the moment our backs were turned!” Henry protested. 

“So don't turn your backs.” Lucy told him. “People like that, who you can't trust and you know don't trust you, can be useful. Simon Stride was one of them. They have skills so you exploit them and then get rid of them.” 

“Simon Stride nearly stabbed you in the back. Nearly killed you.” 

“And I stabbed him first. Make sure you stab those districts first.” Lucy told them. “The woman from District 8 is terribly ill. She passed out during the reaping, remember?” 

Jekyll nodded. He did remember that, now that Lucy mentioned it. “So kill her while she's passed out, once you make her help you. You can't win the games being virtuous and fair.” 

“Right.” Jekyll agreed, though the idea put a bitter taste in his mouth. 

_ Oh, relax, you pussy.  _ I'll  _ do it. _ Hyde told him irritably. The little blond was wandering the room, though at the moment he was lingering near Lucy, which was to be expected. 

“What about the man from District 8. He looked like a threat.” 

“Adam? I haven't got a read on him. You'll have to wait for the interviews to know for sure.” Lucy replied. “But really, I would watch out more for District 7. They're both not to be messed with.” 

“Rumour has it the girl has some transformative abilities.” Emma remarked. 

_ She  _ what _? _ Hyde gasped. Jekyll echoed the question.

“Oh, it's just a whisper I heard amongst the stylists. Probably shouldn't have told you.” Emma told him. “They didn't say anything else about it.” 

_ Oh good. So we might actually have a challenge on our hands, if there's another one like me. Shame she blew it before the games started though. I'm starting to see how hiding it may be our advantage. _

Well, at least Hyde had caught on eventually. Even if it was under threat of another person like him. 

“Anyways, let's go! You two can't be late!” Emma declared, and led them out of the dining room.

The actual Training Center was huge. Full of ropes courses, weapons, weights, and all other sorts of tests. If it were Hyde here, he’d be going to the weapons. He needed to work on simple weapon skills, it would be too conspicuous for Jekyll to carry anything weird like Hyde liked to use. 

_ I can't believe neither of us thought of that back at home.  _

“We had. It was supposed to be this year’s focus.” Jekyll murmured. 

_ Right. _ Hyde shrugged. His cloak spiralled around the room, clearly playing off his obvious excitement.  _ Oh well. I can use a knife well enough, that can't be hard to get our hands on. _

“So. Where do we head to first?” Robert asked. 

“Well, the people from District 9 are currently… holy shit she's pretty good with that knife, actually.” Henry remarked, watching the girl hurl a knife at a target. It sunk a few inches into the target’s chest. 

“Damn.” Robert agreed. “And the others?”

“Well, District 8 stuck together as well, the girl is sparring right now, the boy is just watching looks like…” Jekyll pointed to them. The girl had a sword in her hand and was sparring with one of the trainers in the room. “And District 7 split up. The girl is practicing with a bow, the boy is… throwing axes. Great. I vote not him.” Henry laughed nervously. 

“Agreed. And 5?” 

“Looks like the man from 5 just set up a completely functional… I don't know what it is but it looks electrical and deadly, and the girl is using explosives right now. Looks like District 9 is the safest.” Henry decided. 

“Agreed.” Robert said with a smile.

So off towards the knife throwing woman and the man with an amazed look in his eyes they went. 

Jekyll agreed with the boy. The girl was quite impressive. 

_ Oh, please. I can do that and you're never impressed. _

“You bounce knives off the target more often than they sink in.” Jekyll murmured. 

_ I do not!  _ Hyde cried indignantly.  _ I could so do what she's doing. I just can't try. I'm stuck here until the games start. _

“You were quick with that excuse, sounds like a good reason not to be made a to look a fool.” 

Hyde gaped like fish out of water for a few moment. _That's not true!_ _Besides! You can laugh all you want, someday soon our life, or Robert’s, may depend on my ability to throw a knife. And you'll regret mocking my skills._

The girl throwing knives looked at him. “Can I help you?” She asked, not unfriendly but not kind. Wary.

“Robert and I just wanted to talk. We’re looking to beat the careers, of course, like everyone is and-"

“You aren't careers?” The boy asked, surprised. “But District 1 always sends careers!” 

“No, we aren't.” Robert confirmed. “Either way. As Henry was saying, we’re looking to build a team to take the careers down.” 

“And what do you bring to the team, if you aren't careers?” The girl asked.

“Med and survival skills. We’re no fighters, you're right, Miss… I don't believe I caught your name.” Henry said with a smile. “I'm Henry Jekyll, this is Robert Lanyon.” 

“Rachel Pidgley.” The girl replied, just like Hyde had already told him. 

“And Jasper Kaylock.” The boy said. 

“Alright, Miss Pidgley, Mister Kaylock, as I said we aren't fighters. But we can make it so that we can survive between fights.” Henry offered. 

Rachel considered him. “If they aren't fighters we’ll be able to handle them the moment we want them gone, Rach …” Jasper offered. He looked uncomfortable with the talk of death. 

_ Ha! He wishes we’d be easy targets. Well, Robert will be, but I'll take care of him to help your bleeding heart, I suppose. _ Hyde laughed.

Rachel and Jasper were still talking between themselves. Finally, Rachel turned back to look at him. “You have yourself a deal, Henry. Who else is in on it?” She asked.

Henry turned around to look at the rest of the tributes. “Shit.” 

One tribute of District 4 had made his way over to the tributes from 7, the other to the tributes from 8. There went two possibilities. “Well, Robert and I were going to talk to the people from District 5…” 

“I wouldn't bother with Virginia. She's a lone wolf, from what I gathered. We may have a shot with Baxter though. He seems the type to like a pack.” Jasper offered. 

This was not going as well as Jekyll had hoped. They so far only had two allies, and Hyde intended to kill one of them the moment the bloodbath was over. 

_ You're not making me change my mind. But by all means, befriend Rachel… I have a plan to really ruin her before she dies. _

Great. Just great.

“Well, I suppose we should go talk to Baxter.” Henry decided.

“Well, you have fun with that. I'm staying here.” Rachel informed him, and grabbed her knife again. 

_ She's actually being quite dumb. That's clearly her greatest asset. She should save it for the games. _

“Funny how you agree with that plan when you being cooped up and not getting to talk to Lucy isn't part of it.” 

_ Excuse you! I've agreed now, unless you've forgotten! It's just disappointing not to get to talk to your all-time idol until after the games. _ Hyde complained. 

Henry couldn't deny that in a way, Hyde had a point. Still, he quit bickering with his alter ego and walked up to Baxter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> District 1- Luxury: Jekyll (17), Lanyon (18)  
> District 2- Masonry: Mosley (14), Doddle (15)  
> District 3- Technology: Pennebrygg (16), Flowers (15)  
> District 4- Fishing: Helsby (17), Maijabi (18)  
> District 5- Power: Tweedy (15), Ito (16)  
> District 6- Transport: Bryson (17), Griffin (17)  
> District 7- Lumber: Morcant (18), Moreau (18)  
> District 8- Textiles: Frankie (18), Creature (14)  
> District 9- Grain: Jasper (14), Rachel (15)  
> District 10- Livestock: Lavender (14), Cantilupe (18)  
> District 11- Agriculture: Bird (18), Archer (16)  
> District 12- Mining: Sinnett (15), Luckett (16)


	8. Chapter 8

At the end of the three training days, Jekyll had only managed to recruit Jasper and Rachel. Which was not ideal when Hyde had not backed down on his plan to kill one of them first. 

On the bright side, Rachel had been able to teach Jekyll some basic knife skills. He didn't doubt that Hyde in some way helped him pick it up, because Lanyon was nowhere near that quick of a learner. His skills could hardly be counted as skills. 

At the very least he would be able to patch a wound in the arena. So long as his allies could protect him, he would end up useful.

_ So long as we protect him. Which I don't feel like doing, Jekyll. But somehow I'm sure you'll try and make me. _

“He is the only one with medical skills. You're not going to get through everything without getting hurt. It would do you well to keep him alive.” Jekyll reasoned. 

Robert was already gone, he’d been called up first to do his private session with the gamemakers, Jekyll knew he shouldn’t be talking to himself in the Training Center with the other twenty-two tributes there, but they were all just talking amongst themselves and not paying attention to him. 

They were all worrying about their demonstrations. Just like he was.

Which Jekyll already knew wouldn't go well for him. He couldn't try anything Rachel had taught him, he'd ruin her score, and he really didn't have any other skills. 

_ Set a trap or something. You can do that pretty quickly. _ Hyde advised.  _ Either that or you let me do it. It is a closed off room, after all.  _

“No, I don't want to risk that, Hyde.” Jekyll decided. “You should understand that after the bit about the girl from District 7 slipped out.” 

_ It was just a suggestion. _ Hyde said defensively.  _ We both know I would get the higher score, but if it isn't worth the risk, it isn't worth the risk.  _

“It’s not. We'll have time to redeem ourselves in the interviews and games themselves.” Jekyll decided. 

_ That's a plan. You speak well, you should be able to make up for whatever you do at this demo. There's only one concern. One thing we’re dependent of that we didn't think of.  _ The blond realized, eyebrows knitting together as he contemplated whatever he had just figured out. 

“And what is that, Edward?” 

_ If the gamemakers don't show a transformation on the screen, you won't gain support for what I do. _ He explained. 

“You will gain support from the Capitol for yourself then. You'll be around for enough of the games that you'll be able to collect what the sponsors send you. Besides. I doubt the gamemakers will hide something like one tribute turning into another person for long.” Jekyll reasoned. 

_ I suppose you might be right. Now hurry up and get your stuff together, okay? You’re going to be fine.  _ Hyde warned.  _ Even Lanyon figured out what he was going to do quicker than you did! Then again, he got put under a little more pressure.  _

“Well, Lanyon doesn't have you to have a conversation with. I would be quicker if I wasn't talking with you.” Jekyll retorted.

_ You used to know how to have a conversation and function normally. Get your shit together. _

“I'm nervous, alright? I have a lot of shit on my mind, Robert is going to die in the next week, I'm going to have to let you kill people and live with that!” Jekyll whisper-shouted at the blond. “And I haven’t got a clue what I should do. Hyde, I’m scared, and I have no idea what to do! And you’re making it worse!” 

Hyde moved backwards and fell very, very silent. His green eyes were wide with shock.  _ I-I’m sorry, Henry… I… I… I was trying to help... _

“It’s fine, Edward. I'm stressed out and I shouldn't take it out on you.” 

Hyde’s hands were always cold. Cold and glassy like the mirror he resided in. They gripped Jekyll’s shoulders.  _ You can do this. I'm sorry I'm stressing you out. But believe me, you're not alone and we can do this. We can get through this.  _

Jekyll nodded. Took a deep breath, closed his eyes. “Thank you.” He murmured. Hyde’s hands fell from his shoulders. 

But he was still there. Hyde was right. Neither of them were ever truly alone.

It was actually not the worst thing in the world, to not be alone. Hyde was not a great support system, but he did occasionally remember to try. 

Great. So now he was stuck dwelling on what on earth he was going to show the gamemakers with no one but someone who occasionally tried to help.

_ Hey, this might sound mean, but Robert won’t be a hard act to follow.  _ Hyde tried. He sat down beside Jekyll, where Robert had been during lunch.

“That is mean.” Jekyll agreed, sighing. “But I guess you’re right.” He conceded. 

_ I know I’m right, Henry. I’m always right when it comes to being showy. _ Hyde replied, laughing a little bit. 

“That and you never manage to take anything seriously. Even the Hunger Games.” Jekyll reminded him.

_ I take the Hunger Games very seriously. I’m just also the only one who’s going to be able to kill anyone in those games. So I get to mess around as much as I want. You have to be serious. I have to be serious once we’re in the arena. _

“You know I hate it when you’re right, Edward.” Jekyll muttered.

_ Then stop making it so easy for me to be right. _ Hyde returned, a snide grin on his face, as the intercom called Jekyll’s name.

Jekyll got to his feet and walked down the hall. He could feel something beside him, icy cold and only moving when he did, though he could hear both sets of footsteps. “I don’t need you to be physically there, Edward. I can do it.”

_ I know. I’m just watching out for you. _

“Well, thank you.” Henry said softly.

Hyde immediately began spluttering like he had just realized what he’d said.  _ It’s not just for you, your nerves could blow my shot, too. _

“Yes yes, I know, you can’t be caught caring.” Jekyll rolled his eyes. 

_ Whatever. I’m not going anywhere unless you want me to leave. _

“No no, you can stay if you want, just no talking while I’m working, Edward.” Jekyll told him, then fell silent as he stepped into the gymnasium. 

He knew why Lucy had said that he and Robert were lucky. The gamemakers hadn’t sat through too much of this yet, they were still interested. The later districts would get fucked over by boredom. Right now, Jekyll was the only one who could fuck himself over. 

Which was not as reassuring as it should have been. “How is setting a trap going to impress them if there’s nothing to catch?” He whispered to Hyde. 

_ Throw something at it when you’re done.  _ Hyde replied.  _ Sorry, that’s the best I’ve got. _

“It’ll do.” Jekyll decided.

He knew what he was doing. He could practically set up camp and traps in his sleep at this point, since that was his job in the games. It was just left to be seen if the Gamemakers would find it impressive enough. 

Even so, he walked over to the massive racks of supplies just inside the gym, selected the cord and wire and such that he would need. Also grabbed a small weight to play an animal, and a knife to cut the string. Walked into the middle of the gym.

All eyes were on him. He swallowed and got to work, weaving and cutting and carefully creating the net and trigger and release that he would need. He refused to look up at the Gamemakers. He was almost certain he had lost their attention by now.

Occasionally, cold, translucent hands would point out a knot he had left too loose, a cord left too long. Hyde was no expert with this stuff, but he had watched Jekyll make them often enough that he could recognize a flaw before it developed into something worse.

And good thing too, Jekyll’s hands were trembling and he surely would have botched the trap twice if it weren’t for Hyde helping. 

But finally, it was done and set up.  _ Don’t throw the weight. Cut down one of the dummies from over there,  _ Hyde pointed across the gym,  _ throw it in there, and then gut it with the knife. You can figure out how to gut a straw guy. _

Jekyll nodded and did as he was told. The knife was harder than he expected to tear through the dummy, but in the end, there were clumps of straw on the ground, and the dummy was opened up from collar to groin.

_ Good job. Take a bow. _ Hyde advised. 

Jekyll listened to that as well, and was soon dismissed from the gymnasium. He left through the doors opposite the ones he had come in, and made his way back to the section of the Training Center reserved for District 1.

“So how did it go, Henry?” Lucy asked from where she was seated. Emma was curled up beside her, Lucy had an arm around her partner’s waist. 

They looked pretty relaxed, for a change. “Frankly? I’m not really sure.” He admitted.

“Well, you surely can’t do worse than me, Henry, I’ll tell you that for free.” Robert muttered.

“What did you do?” Henry asked, instantly worried about his friend. Robert may have done spectacularly worse than he had anticipated.

“Never mind that. Nothing impressive. What did you do?” Robert asked. He seemed very reluctant to talk about his performance in front of the Gamemakers. 

“Set up a trap, pretended to catch a dummy in it by throwing the dummy. That’s all I really do know how to do. Well, Rachel did teach me some skills with the knives, but I didn’t want to steal her skill and then make the Gamemakers less open to it by looking like a fool trying it.” Henry explained. 

“You’re too much of a nice guy, Henry. And Robert, you can refuse to tell us what you did all you want, but we’ll all know  _ how _ you did this evening. Is it really worth hiding it until then?” Lucy asked.

“Yes.”

“Then it must have been monumentally bad.” Lucy predicted.

“Well, considering I’m not expecting anything higher than a three for it, I’d say so, yes.” Robert spat. 

Lucy groaned and buried her face in her hands. “Hopeless, you two are hopeless…” She muttered.

“Miss Harris, isn’t it true that people only really care about the high scores? If you score low, people just ignore it?” Henry asked.

“In a way, yes.” Lucy agreed, reluctant to entertain whatever notion Jekyll was starting on. 

_ Yeah, what are you trying to do? _ Hyde asked. 

“So… all Robert needs to do is play it like he did it on purpose. It’s a strategy.” Henry reasoned, smiling a little bit.

“I can do that.” Robert agreed, settling down to eat. “Sit down, Henry.” He encouraged. 

Henry walked over and sat down beside Robert, scooched his chair over to sit closer to him. 

“I suppose that might be a valid plan.” Lucy agreed, glancing over at Emma. “Can you help him work that angle?” 

“I'm sure I can.” Emma agreed, smiling. “Looks like we might have finally figured something out. Anyways, boys, we need to go over tomorrow. Lucy and I will be working with you during the day to make sure you can nail your television appearances. You go off to the stylists after dinner, and then the interviews. Those matter a lot more than your scores from today, so don't screw them up, okay?” 

Jekyll and Lanyon nodded. 

“If you can give me enough to work with, I can get you sponsors, whether you're impressive or not. Failing that, you're on your own. Oh, and after the interviews is the last night you spend outside the arena. Spend it how you choose, loverboys. But I would advise getting some actual sleep, too.” 

_ Oh, gross. Is she actually suggesting you two- bleh I can't even say it.  _

“Have you two got that?” Emma asked. 

“We do.” Robert promised her.

The first course of supper was served quickly. Emma and Lucy walked over from the sofa they were curled up on and sat at the table. 

No one spoke. Around when the main course was brought out, the screen flickered to life. 

Great. It was time to see how badly they had actually done. There was a ridiculously long introduction, Robert held on to Henry's hand under the table. “It's alright, they hardly matter, right?” He muttered. 

“Right.” Henry agreed. 

“I can't say I'm thrilled either way, when you scored a three, Robert.” Lucy retorted. “You're missing it and this is important.” 

“Hey, that's on the high end of what I thought I was going to score, Miss Harris. Besides-" Robert glanced over at the screen. “Henry got something average, a six.” He added. 

“Districts 1, 2 and 4 almost always score between eight and ten. You're lucky Henry came up with a strategy to save your ass from that score.” Lucy retorted. 

Almost every one else had scored between a five and eight, with a few exceptions. Moreau got a ten, Rachel got a nine, one man from District 4 got a nine as well. Victoria and Adam both got tens. 

_ Our score isn't a bad thing. _ Hyde said.  _ Now we know who the risks are, without looking like one as well.  _

Hyde did have a point, Jekyll supposed, pondering the numbers as he ate. A six didn't make him a target like the three made Robert, and it didn't make him competition to be taken out, like the tens did to each other. In this case, average was probably best. 

_ Exactly.  _ Hyde agreed, suddenly appearing to fill one of the chairs the stylists had never shown up to fill.  _ And then you'll pull out the sparkles and dazzle them in the interviews, and bam! Mediocre number forgotten, but no new threat to the other tributes. God, why doesn't everyone use this plan? It's brilliant! I'm glad I didn't convince you to let me do it! _

Jekyll couldn't help but smile a little at Hyde’s enthusiasm. It seemed the blond had this all figured out. All Jekyll had to do was follow the plan, and not freak out to much when Robert inevitably had to die. 

_ Don't think about that one just yet, Henry… _ Hyde said, suddenly vanished again and now standing behind him, hands on the brunet’s shoulders.  _ I shouldn't have made you face that so soon. Just focus on other things for now. Everything will work out in due time.  _

He wanted to believe the blond. He really did. He wanted to stop worrying and just believe that things would be alright. 

But something was off about how Hyde was acting. Being too fluffy. To apologetic. Too sympathetic.

And Jekyll just couldn't trust what he was saying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> District 1- Luxury: Jekyll (17), Lanyon (18)  
> District 2- Masonry: Mosley (14), Doddle (15)  
> District 3- Technology: Pennebrygg (16), Flowers (15)  
> District 4- Fishing: Helsby (17), Maijabi (18)  
> District 5- Power: Tweedy (15), Ito (16)  
> District 6- Transport: Bryson (17), Griffin (17)  
> District 7- Lumber: Morcant (18), Moreau (18)  
> District 8- Textiles: Frankie (18), Creature (14)  
> District 9- Grain: Jasper (14), Rachel (15)  
> District 10- Livestock: Lavender (14), Cantilupe (18)  
> District 11- Agriculture: Bird (18), Archer (16)  
> District 12- Mining: Sinnett (15), Luckett (16)


	9. Chapter 9

The day had passed in a terrible blur, and Jekyll hated that more than he had ever hated anything. It was his last normal day for the rest of his life, and goddamn it, he had wanted it to last forever.

And he had tried to make it last as long as he could. Tried to just lay in bed, stay quiet, stay curled up with Robert. He was even fairly sure Emma had taken a small amount of pity on her tributes, she had not disturbed them until much later than she normally did. 

Maybe she had been thinking of her time with Lucy. She surely didn't like when she had to leave her girlfriend to return to the Capitol, so she could understand why Robert and Henry wanted to draw out their time together. 

But alas, they had work to do. A lot of work to do. And she’d had to disturb the boys eventually. Of course, other districts may struggle more than them, Henry was certain, but there was a lot to do. Emma did not have to worry much with poise and posture, Robert and Henry already knew how to carry themselves, Robert especially. He was finally better at something than Henry, being the mayor’s son he’d been taught from a young age to be dignified and graceful. There were always eyes on him.

Lucy had more work to do. Drilling them both with possible questions, what Caesar may want them to tell the crowd of people that would be watching their interviews. How to answer in full while still charming the people into liking them.

It didn't seem so hard. Stay smiley, friendly, but still elusive and mysterious. Leave people wanting to know more about them. 

The stylists also had their tasks to do, as much as Henry would have preferred just to dress himself, he had just gotten away from Cynthia. 

It wasn't like she had done too much he wouldn't have, any makeup today was just to hide blemishes on his skin or anything like that, and the clothes were very close to what he wore in District 1. A wine-red shirt with loose sleeves pulled in at his wrists, and black slacks that were tucked into fancy looking black boots that went almost to his knees and creaked when he walked. 

Robert, again, was nearly identical. “You know, Robert, I already liked purple, but Cyrus might just convince me it's even better if he keeps dressing you in it.” Henry remarked. 

Robert hummed, looking over at his fellow tribute. “I don't know, I'm quite fond of that red, Henry.” He decided. 

“Aren't you sweet…” Henry murmured, and pulled him into a tight hug. Robert kissed the top of his head. 

“Boys, the other tributes will be here any minute, do be careful.” Emma warned. 

She had come around to accept Henry and Robert’s secrecy quite well if she was willing to help them keep it. Henry sighed, held on tightly for one more second, revelling in everything he could about Robert. 

“Henry, you'll see me after the interviews. And we won't be in public.” Robert muttered.

“It's not enough.” Henry replied, resting his head against Robert’s chest. “I'm not losing a second with you if I can help it.” He whispered. 

The elevator pinged and the boys jumped apart as the tributes from District 3 stepped into the room.

“Take your seats, Henry and Robert. Henry, you're up first.” Emma told him, then walked over to stand next to him. “You'll get a bit if leniency for going first, but not a lot. So please, put on a show. Lucy has no faith in you, but I saw you during the opening ceremonies. You know how to play a crowd, whether you realize it or not. Use that.” 

Henry nodded. Emma turned to Robert, and Lucy walked over to talk to Jekyll as well. 

Her speech was… more encouraging than usual, at least. “You have the tools you need, you just have to work out how to use them. Use Robert, use your family use anything you have to make yourself mean something to the crowd. This is your last chance.  _ Don't  _ fuck it up.” 

“Yes, Miss Harris.” Jekyll agreed. 

“Lucy. Although I am partial to Queen Lucy if you insist on a title.” She clapped him on the shoulder. “I don't know if you have what it takes to win. You may not be much of a fighter but you have the brains. Use them. I'll see you after the interviews.” 

She barely paused to talk to Lanyon before leaving.

It wasn't hard to tell she'd pinned her hopes on one tribute, and it wasn't Robert Lanyon.

_ Henry, I know I'm being mean again, but can you really blame her? _ Hyde asked, suddenly appearing on Henry’s left. Lucky bugger wasn't in a physical form and could look how he wanted, so Hyde was still wearing his typical get up, instead of being dressed up for the stage. 

_ I would suffer with you, Henry, I really would. But I can't stand to match your boyfriend. Sorry, he's just not my type.  _

Yeah, Hyde had made that pretty clear lately.

_ Oops. _

The other tributes filed in slowly, took their seats around the half circle. Henry waved at Rachel and Jasper, both looking rather young and small in their old-timey farmers garb. Jasper waved back, Rachel only smiled his way. 

She did not seem nervous. Not like her partner did. 

_ Yeah, I'll definitely warm up taking Juliet- sorry, Jasper, out. Provided no one does it for me in the bloodbath. _

Jekyll glanced over at the pair, feeling rather guilty for Hyde’s plans. 

Jasper was clearly scared. Rachel was cool and collected, telling Jasper a joke to make him less nervous.

Henry wished he wasn't nervous. The palms of his hands were sweating like mad, and he was sure he was shaking. 

Robert grabbed on of his hands and gave it a squeeze. “You'll do wonderfully.” He whispered. Henry nodded. 

“You will too.” He returned. 

Robert gave him a grim smile. “We’ll have to see.” 

“You will.” Henry assured him. 

The brunet turned his eyes to the stage as the host of nearly forty years stepped onto the stage.

His name was Caesar Flickerman, and since he had made Hyde, Jekyll had known he would meet this host someday.

He had just never thought that Lanyon would be sitting beside him when it happened. 

Caesar never looked any different, really. He was always white-faced, always had the same hairstyle and midnight blue suit speckled with tiny stars. His hair colour did change though.

Ironically enough, this year it was green. Forest green, but still green. 

_ Hey, look! It's like he saw me coming!  _ Hyde giggled a little bit. 

As per usual, Caesar gave the first tribute up, in this case Henry, more time to feel like he was going to throw up by warming up the crowd with a few jokes. 

But it wasn't long untul Caesar was calling his name. Henry bit his lip, stood up. 

“Just pretend you're talking to me.” Lanyon said softly, as Jekyll walked to the seat beside Caesar. He shook the hosts hand, forced himself to smile, the dazzling smile Robert had always complimented him on. 

“So, Henry, you've had quite a journey on your way here, haven’t you? Now, being from District 1, it can't have been that big of a change, but can you tell me what the biggest surprise through this whole thing has been for you?” Caesar asked. 

“Honestly? Finally getting Cutthroat Lucy to say something nice to me.” Henry tried for a joke, the crowd accepted it without hesitation. Jekyll spotted Lucy, she was smiling good-naturedly.

“Really? It wasn't that no one in your District got the chance to volunteer? District 1 rarely does not have volunteers.” Caesar remarked.

“Honestly? It was surprising at first, but it’s not like it's the weirdest thing that could happen. I guess they wanted to give me the chance to prove myself.” Henry replied. 

The crowd seemed intriguiged by this. It wasn't common knowledge, per say, that Districts 1, 2 and 4 trained tributes, technically it was against the rules, but everyone sort of knew and pretended not to. So Jekyll’s excuse was interesting. 

“And are you feeling prepared to prove yourself, Henry?” Caesar asked. “What would you say you can bring into the arena as your strength?” 

Hyde was making faces at Caesar behind his back.  _ God, he's boring. Ask something people care about, you old geiser. _

Jekyll laughed a little. “My fantastic sense of humour. No, seriously. I would say my greatest strength is for me to know, and you to find out. Can't have my secrets getting blown before I have a chance to use them!” 

“Oh, goodness, now I have to know. Can I get a hint? You're very confident, clearly you have something up your sleeve.” 

The crowd echoes the statement. Jekyll pretended to be stunned. “Me? Confident? No, the stylists just covered me in so much makeup you can't see if I'm sweating or not. I'm the opposite of confident but Queen Lucy may kill me before I get into the arena if I break down on stage. Isn't that right, Lucy?” 

“Damn straight!” She shouted from the crowd. 

“What, so are you saying you're all bark and no bite? A dangerous thing to reveal, Henry.” Caesar warned. 

“No no, I most definitely have a trick. And this is getting easier to do by the second. But your only clue for my strategy is… I would  _ easily  _ say it's something none of you have ever seen before.” Henry replied. 

“You know, Henry, you have a way with answering my questions in ways that just leave me with more questions!” Caesar exclaimed, chuckling a little bit.

Henry smiled elusively and shrugged his shoulders. “Well, I suppose you'll have to watch me in the arena to get those answers, now won't you?” 

“I wouldn't dream of not.” Caesar assured him. “So. One last question and then I have to let you go. Who is cheering for you back home?” 

Henry almost faltered because he wished his answer was Robert. “Well, I imagine most of the district is rallying behind Robert, he is the mayor’s son, but I know my mother and father are cheering for me, at least. My uncle died in the games before I was born so… I imagine they're pretty desperate for me to win.” 

“And what did you say to them, before you left?” 

“I told them not to worry about me, and that I would be home as soon as I could be.” 

It was close to what he had said, and made him sound more confident than he had been.

“I'm sure they're counting the days already. So, that's all the time I have with you. Best of luck, Henry Jekyll, tribute of District 1.” 

Henry got to his feet and bowed before leaving to the sound of applause. “You did wonderfully.” Robert whispered before he was called onto stage.

Henry tried to listen attentively to Robert’s interview, he really did. But his head was spinning and now that he was out of the spotlight, he felt like he was about to throw up or pass out or both. 

He did hear parts of it. Lanyon made a new reason for having refused a volunteer. He said it was to prove to his father that he couldn't be controlled, and to prove his own worth. Henry knew the real reason and the real reason broke his heart. 

Robert was here because of  _ him.  _ If  _ he  _ hadn't told the careers not to volunteer, if he had just waited until next year, Robert wouldn't be here. Robert  _ couldn't  _ have been here next year no matter what he had tried. 

This was Henry’s fault and it made him want to cry.

“So, is there anyone waiting for you at home? For when you get back?” Caesar asked. 

“Certainly.” Lanyon lied. “He's the one I had to show my father he couldn't control me over. And I can't wait to see him at the end of the games, no matter what it takes.” 

What… what did he mean by that? No matter what it took? The only way the one ‘waiting’ for Robert ‘at home’ was Henry, and if Lanyon wanted to see him at the end of the games… 

That meant Lanyon still intended to die to send Henry home. 

Once Robert was done, the interviews seemed to go very quickly. Moreau and Victoria Frankenstein played the edge of nothing but a brutal killer, they both meant business. Jasper spoke a lot about Rachel, Rachel did the same about Jasper, but added that she had grown up in the roughest part of her district and was no stranger to fighting to survive. 

District 12 made Henry feel bad that they surely wouldn't survive. Sinnett lived with only his mother, who was too frail to do much to survive and relied on him for help, Luckett was the oldest of a huge family whose parents had both died in the mines.

And then they could leave. The interviews were over and it was the end of the last normal day Henry Jekyll would ever have. No matter what happened in the arena, life would never be the same and he hated it more than anything he had ever hated before. 

Supper was quiet. Robert and Henry sat glued to each others sides, completely silent. This time, their act had been draining. This time, their act had hurt. 

This time… this time, they'd pretended to be enemies. Watching the replays, Henry knew it was there. In the thing he had said about the whole district rooting for Lanyon, in Lanyon boldly declaring he would see someone to the end of the games. Even if Henry knew what he meant, the crowd didn't. 

“You two did well. You ought to get an early night’s rest, your travel starts at dawn.” Emma paused before giving both of them a hug. “Good luck. I hope to see… I hope to see one of you again.” 

“Thank you for all your help, Emma.” Henry said with a forced smile. 

“It was my pleasure. Goodbye, Henry, goodbye, Robert.” 

“Goodbye, Emma.”

And she left. They wouldn't see her again unless they lived to the end. 

“Be smart in there, you two. Don't get tangled in the bloodbath, if you think it's safe, you can grab something, but you get away from the cornucopia as soon as you can. Make me proud.” Lucy told them, and hugged them both as well. They exchanged similar partings as with Emma, and Cutthroat Lucy walked away as well. 

Then the stylists, and then it was only Robert and Henry. 

And they too, wordlessly, got up and went into Robert’s room to sleep the last normal night away. 

Although, Henry realized, as without a sound, Robert’s fingers buttoned down his shirt and his lover’s soft lips met his, Robert did not plan on getting a lot of sleep.

And there was no way Henry would have rathered end his last normal night on earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> District 1- Luxury: Jekyll (17), Lanyon (18)  
> District 2- Masonry: Mosley (14), Doddle (15)  
> District 3- Technology: Pennebrygg (16), Flowers (15)  
> District 4- Fishing: Helsby (17), Maijabi (18)  
> District 5- Power: Tweedy (15), Ito (16)  
> District 6- Transport: Bryson (17), Griffin (17)  
> District 7- Lumber: Morcant (18), Moreau (18)  
> District 8- Textiles: Frankie (18), Creature (14)  
> District 9- Grain: Jasper (14), Rachel (15)  
> District 10- Livestock: Lavender (14), Cantilupe (18)  
> District 11- Agriculture: Bird (18), Archer (16)  
> District 12- Mining: Sinnett (15), Luckett (16)


	10. Chapter 10

Proving they were full of grace and mercy after all, the stylists made no comments on where and in what position they found the tributes from District 1 in when they came for Robert and Henry in the early light of morning.

“Up you get…” Cynthia muttered, pulling a loose shirt over Henry’s head and handing him a pair of plain trousers. Cyrus was doing the same with Robert. “You two will be dressed properly for the games under the arena. Say your goodbyes, we’ll give you a few minutes. It's going to be difficult and that's okay. Just try to have yourselves composed when we get back. We can only afford you a few minutes.”

Henry nodded. The moment the stylists were out of the room he fell into Robert's arms.

Was stunned to find that he had no tears to cry. He had spent them all, and everything was numb. It was Robert, in fact, who was sniffling. As if it was only now that his facade had cracked and he had really started to comprehend what was happening. “I love you.” He whispered into Henry’s auburn hair.

“I love you too.” Henry said.

They had time to share a kiss before Cynthia and Cyrus were escorting them out of the room.

“Stay strong, Henry.” Cynthia muttered as she led the way to the elevator. The tributes left the Training Center from the roof. “It's tough, but you have to stay strong. I know it's tough-"

“How the hell would you know anything about it?” Henry challenged, anger bubbling up in his chest as the stylist tried to comfort him. “How would you know what any of this is like you are from Capitol and you will never have to know what this is like!”

Cynthia fell silent. Henry felt guilty, but not enough to apologize. He was right. Cynthia had no way to understand anything. She had not grown up under the threat of the games, they were her entertainment. Why should he listen to what she had to say?

A hovercraft appeared in the sky above the roof, lowered a ladder down to Jekyll. The moment he placed his hands and feet on it, he was frozen, unable to so much as flinch as the ladder was lifted back up, and he found himself inside the hovercraft.

A man in a white coat walked over to Jekyll, a syringe in his hand. “Nothing to worry about, Henry, just a tracker.” He explained. The brunet had still not been released from the ladder and was completely immobile while the man shot the tracker into his forearm.

Then he was released. Cynthia was escorted up, and they were both led to a place where breakfast was laid out for them.

His last meal before the games. Henry wished he could enjoy it.

But his stomach was cramping painfully and he barely managed to choke down a passable amount of food.

“I'm sorry.” Cynthia said quietly. “You're right. I don't know what it's like in your shoes. But I'm sorry you have to be in them.”

That, Jekyll could accept. “Thank you.”

“And I wish you luck. In whatever outcome you go into the games seeking.”

Jekyll nodded. For the rest of the journey to the arena, he sat and stared out the window. He could see Hyde in his reflection on the glass, but for once the blond was utterly silent.

Jekyll wasn't sure if he appreciated that or not. He wanted input he wanted someone to be able to talk to, but at the same time, the silence was warm and comforting.

Eventually, the windows went black and Hyde stopped being able to hold his tongue. _We’re almost there! Henry, we’re almost there!_

Although Jekyll himself was terrified, he couldn't help but smile at Hyde’s enthusiasm. Hyde was _made_ for this, of course he was excited. Jekyll couldn't rob him of his excitement by being too down about it.

This was the moment Hyde had waited for all his life, which wasn't very long, incidentally, and he was really the only one of the two of them that was going to get that moment.

Jekyll’s involved Lanyon.

“Henry? Come over here, we’ve arrived.” Cynthia called.

Jekyll look one last look at Hyde’s reflection and walked over to the ladder. Yet again, as soon as he touched it, a current rendered him immobile, and he and Cynthia were transported underground, and then given specific instructions for where to go. Each tribute had to be loaded into the right launch pad.

“Take a shower, brush your teeth, shave, anything like that. It’s your last chance. Then we’ll go over what you have for clothes.” Cynthia instructed.

Jekyll did all of that, and was soon watching the stylist tear open the package they had for the games.

The clothes were relatively simple. A black tank top that was almost like a second skin, so it should shrink a bit when Hyde appeared, a brown coat with a thick lining, forest green pants and a sturdy black belt, and brown, knee high leather boots.

Cynthia also fastened the locket around Jekyll’s neck. “Gamemakers approved it, so it's yours. I added something for you.” She told him. “Another picture.”

Jekyll opened the locket. On one side, his family picture, god, they were all so young in it…

And on the other was a picture of Robert.

Jekyll felt tears spring to his eyes as he closed it and let it fall back against his chest. “Thank you…”

Cynthia only gave him a hug. Held onto him for a few minutes before letting go. “Okay. The boots are thick and sturdy, it suggests a lot of underbrush and things that would wear through a normal pair. The jacket is very thick, so expect a chill, but I imagine it's hot somewhere in there, else you’d have a different shirt.”

Jekyll nodded.

“Does it all fit well?” Cynthia asked.

Jekyll moved around a bit. “Like a glove.”

“Good. Now, you heard Lucy. If you can get something from the cornucopia, that's great. But don't risk your life. And find water.”

Another nod, and Cynthia sat with him on the couch, until a female voice instructed for all tributes to report to the launch pads.

Then, Jekyll stood on a metal plate, and waited. Maybe it was Hyde rubbing off on him, smothering his real feelings and hiding them with Hyde’s own, but he didn't feel scared. Just…. ready.

“Good luck, Henry. Whatever you set out to achieve in the games… I hope you achieve it.” Cynthia told him.

Jekyll nodded, and a circular tube surrounded him, then the plate he stood on began to rise.

There was darkness all around him for a while, and then bright sunlight as the pad reached the arena.

The famous announcer, Claudius Templesmith, booms above the tributes: “Ladies, gentlemen, and all in between, let the 74rth Hunger Games begin!”

 _One minutes and then we’re off._ Hyde said.

“What do you want me to do?” Jekyll asked.

_A weapon would be good, but I can make do if I have to. It just puts my tragic plan back a bit. I want you to get out of the bloodbath safely, because I can't help you with this part. Find Robert and Jasper and Rachel and get out of here._

Jekyll nodded. His eyes scanned the ground around him.

There was a lot of supplies, but the closest weapon to him was a bag that contained a knife. It was a good twenty yards from where he was standing.

 _Go for it._ Hyde decided.

Jekyll nodded again. His heart was beginning to race.

_You can do this. I know you can. You just have to survive this and I can do the rest._

Jekyll risked a glance around.

There were surrounded by a heavy pine forest, though the sun shone brightly around them.

Hence the coat. It would be cold in the dark of the forest. In the sun, it would be warm.

The gong rang and Jekyll didn't even hesitate. He raced forwards and snatched the bag off the ground before glancing around to find the rest of his allies.

Robert stood a few feet back from the launch pads, searching for him. Rachel had ran in to get something and was running back out, Jasper waiting for her.

After looking around to make sure no one was about to ambush him, Jekyll raced to Robert’s side.

From there, he could see the full extent of the bloodbath.

_Well. We were right about the threats._

The tall, dark-skinned man from District 6 was battling it out with the tribute from District 2, the one who always had a mask. He still did. Their fight was intense and quick but eventually, the masked man turned on his heel and fled.

Fight over. But not. Frankenstein had gotten her hands on a double-bladed sword and plunged on blade through District 6's chest.

A cannon went off. The first of many.

The younger girl from District 10, her name was some sort of flower but Jekyll couldn't remember which, was trying to pick something up when a crossbow bolt entered the back of her neck. She collapsed, moments later another boom sounded out.

The girl from District 3, the one with dark skin and multicolored eyes, loaded another bolt and turned away from the dead girl.

More cannons went off, Jekyll was losing track of where to watch. Moreau had a flail, he had made it straight to the cornucopia and was fully submerged in the bloodbath, and two tributes lay on the ground before him.

The large man from District 11, and Baxter Tweedy, the tribute from District 5 that Jekyll had tried to recruit to his little alliance group.

The second tribute from District 2, Henry believed his name was Andrew, was also on the ground, dead, stabbed through the chest, and the two threats of the field, Moreau and Frankenstein, were facing each other down.

Their blows were fast and almost too hard to follow. Neither had drawn blood, yet, but both were trying hard. For every swing Moreau took, Frankenstein had a block and a strike of her own.

It was formidable to watch.

Until Frankenstein dropped to her knees, choking up blood.

So that was it. Moreau would control the arena, Victoria Frankenstein would die in the bloodbath.

Or so Jekyll thought, until Adam ran up, wielding a club, and knocked Moreau off his feet, before lifting Victoria from the ground and fleeing the cornucopia.

So they both lived to see another day.

“Why are you two standing there gawking, let’s go!” Rachel scolded, and without another word, she was leading the others into the pine forest.

“Are you alright?” Jekyll whispered to Lanyon.

“Yes. I… I didn't go for anything, so I'm fine.” Robert told him. “Are you?”

“Yes.”

“Quiet, we need to find somewhere to stake out.” Rachel scolded.

“Shouldn't we find water?” Jekyll asked.

“He’s right, Rach. Remember what coach said?” Jasper asked.

“Yes, I do. Water it is.” Rachel agreed. “The only question is, how to find it. I can't hear it lapping the shore, so there must not be any nearby…”

“Then we should keep going.” Robert advised.

“Wise plan.” Rachel snapped, then shook her head. “Sorry. I'm just…”

“Tense. We all are.” Jasper assured her.

 _Ugh, they're making me sick, that has to stop. But how am I going to get Jasper on his own…_ Hyde wondered, suddenly walking beside Jekyll.

Did he really think Jekyll could answer him? Right now? Because it was very clear that Jekyll could not do that.

_Hmmm… we’ll need a distraction. He's a nice guy, and he's walking second to last. So if you suddenly vanish he’ll go back to look for you._

“But then Rachel will know it was me, Hyde.” Jekyll muttered.

_Right. Dammit, this is going to be harder than I thought!_

“When we make camp, I'll suggest splitting up to look for food, and you can ambush him then.” Jekyll suggested.

 _Now you're talking!_ Hyde said with a grin. _I didn't think you'd manage to strategize like that! I'm impressed!_

Jekyll honestly wasn't sure if he should be flattered or not. This was Hyde they were talking about, and Hyde thought a lot of really bad things were impressive.

_Take the compliment, Jekie, right now it's going to be things that I value keeping us alive. Not things you value._

He had a point there. Jekyll couldn't deny that Hyde was the one with the skills for where they were, and so if something impressed him, it was a good thing.

For now, at least.

“I'm not seeing any water.” Rachel complained.

“We’ve only just started looking, Rach. It could take all day. Or more than a day.” Jasper reminded her, moving from near the back of the pack to walk beside her.

“I know, I just wish we would find it already.”

Robert walked over to talk to Henry. “How are you holding up?”

“About as well as you might think.” Jekyll replied.

“So not well.”

“Not at all. And honestly they aren't helping. And I know we could just give in and…”

“No, I agree with you. We shouldn't do that. Look at what they turned themselves into. I don't want to be that.” Robert decided.

“So instead…”

“We distance ourselves.” Robert replied. Jekyll sighed.

“I hate that answer.” He decided.

“I do too. So what is in your bag?” Robert asked.

Jekyll pulled it off his shoulder, and opened it. “A knife, rope, and a small canteen that is full. So we can survive a little bit while we’re searching for water. Rachel, what did you get?”

“Just a knife. It fell out of someone’s bag so I didn't have to go into the fray for it.” She replied.

Jekyll was about to answer when he heard footsteps behind him. He spun on his heel in time to see the for rumoured to have transformative abilities behind him, pulling a bow taught, an arrow aimed at him.

“Scatter!” He shouted, and barely ducked as she loosed the arrow.

And he ran.

 _Tail Jasper!_ Hyde hissed. Jekyll didn't argue, he raced after the boy, knowing full well what Hyde was planning now.

Of course, they had to run a long time to lose Morcant. She was fast and twice Jekyll heard an arrow whiz by his ear and forced himself to keep running. If he kept running he would be okay.

 _Alright, stop. She's gone, and it's my turn._ Hyde decided.

Jekyll didn't bother arguing. He stopped running, ducked behind a tree so that if Jasper looked back, he wouldn't see what was happening, and felt a familiar twist in his stomach as Hyde seized control from him.

He hit his knees, choking up green slime, as bones started crack and crunch together in his body, his limbs shrinking, his back arched as his became someone he had not been mere minutes ago.

Edward Hyde pulled himself to his feet, adjusted the belt on Henry’s trousers, and grabbed the knife out of their bag.

“Well, Juliet, looks like your time is up!” He laughed, and raced after Jasper.

 

District 1- Luxury: Jekyll (17), Lanyon (18)  
District 2- Masonry: Mosley (14), ~~Doddle (15)~~   
District 3- Technology: Pennebrygg (16), Flowers (15)   
District 4- Fishing: Helsby (17), Maijabi (18)   
District 5- Power: ~~Tweedy~~ ~~(15)~~ , Ito (16)   
District 6- Transport: ~~Bryson~~ ~~(17)~~ , Griffin (17)   
District 7- Lumber: Morcant (18), Moreau (18)   
District 8- Textiles: Frankie (18), Creature (14)   
District 9- Grain: Jasper (14), Rachel (15)   
District 10- Livestock: ~~Lavender~~ ~~(14)~~ , Cantilupe (18)   
District 11- Agriculture: ~~Bird~~ ~~(18)~~ , Archer (16)   
District 12- Mining: Sinnett (15), Luckett (16)


	11. Chapter 11

Robert had lost all three people he was supposed to stay near within seconds of starting to run.

He knew the girl with the arrows had not followed him. He could not hear her following him. He knew that Henry had followed Jasper and now they were both gone, he knew that Rachel was somewhere ahead of him and he knew that as of yet, he had heard no cannons.

He had not tracking skills. If he wanted to find Jasper and Henry, he would need to catch up with Rachel. Rachel would be able to find the other two.

Robert had never tried to convince himself he was any sort of athlete. He had been running for only a few minutes and he already could not breathe very well and had a stitch in his side. His life skills had always entailed being on the side of any fight, not caught up in the middle of the fucking Hunger Games. He had always been _supposed_ to let a career volunteer for him, he was not supposed to be in this position, lost in a forest of dark pines.

But he couldn't have let Henry come here alone. And he had wanted to show his father that his life could not be controlled but this was possibly the dumbest way he could have done that. The point would get across, yes, but Robert would likely be dead.

Even though he truly wanted to collapse, Robert made himself keep running. He couldn't quit like that, Henry wasn't going to quit and he couldn't either. He couldn't slow down until he caught up with Rachel. Rachel was up ahead and if he slowed down, he would lose her.

Of course, what was the guarantee that without Henry and Jasper there, Rachel wouldn't turn on the weakest link and take him out right now? Robert could be racing towards certain death and he would never know until it was too late.

“Robert!” A voice hissed from beside him, and he scrambled to a stop. Rachel popped out from behind a tree. “She's gone, and you are the opposite of quiet. Running is attracting us more unwanted attention. Do you know where Henry is?”

Robert shook his head. “Only that he followed Jasper when we split up.” He supplied.

“Then they'll both find us soon enough if we just stay put. Provided Henry keeps following Jasper.” Rachel decided. “If he doesn't, we'll have to go out and find him.”

Robert frowned. “How will Jasper find us?” He asked. “The underbrush doesn't show a lot of trail, and they went the other way.”

“He will.” Rachel said confidently. “He's the best at tracking in our district “

Robert nodded. “So what do we do until then?”

“Jas won't be long. He’ll be searching for us the moment he knows the wolf isn't after him anymore.” Rachel replied. “We may as well just stand and wait. Keep an eye on your back in case someone else ambushes us.”

“Hold up, back up. What did you call the girl with the bow?” Robert asked. He must have heard that wrong, there was no way-

“A wolf. She's a werewolf.”

So he had heard right. “I thought those were wiped out after the rebellion.” He remarked.

“Yeah, they wiped out the ones they made. But any bitten citizens were left alone. So they're rare, but they're around.” Rachel revealed. “You see them more in the farming districts.”

“And how do you know that girl is one?” Robert asked.

“There's tells.” Rachel replied, and didn't elaborate on what they were.

Robert sighed. He wasn't going to get more information on that topic out of her, he could tell. She was hiding something and clearly didn't intend to give that away.

It was fine. Rachel wasn't the only one hiding something from him, lately.

After all. Henry had admitted to having a secret weapon for the games, something he had told no one about and would give him an edge.

And Robert knew how to tell when Henry was lying. It wasn't a bluff. Really, Robert had known for even longer that Henry was hiding something. Not just from their district or the Capitol, but from Robert as well.

When they had been young, they had promised never to keep secrets from each other.

It seemed Henry had broken that promise.

But for what? What was so bad that Henry had to hide it from Robert?

He supposed he would find out soon. He and Henry were stuck in the arena together, Henry’s secret weapon would not stay secret for long.

He just had to be patient. There was surely a good reason to hide it, if Henry was hiding it.

It wasn't like Henry needed to try and play an edge on Robert. Not only would Robert never beat Henry in a fight… but he would be okay with dying to send Henry home. No tricks required.

Of course, if he told Henry that, Henry would get upset. Would insist it was going to be Robert going home.

But he was wrong. Robert would be lucky to see the final half of the games. He already knew that, did not lie to himself about it. What was the sense in lying to himself? Why fill himself with false hope? It would never pay off.

“Someone's thinking up a storm.” Rachel remarked. “Here.” She threw him a sharpened branch. Robert barely managed to catch it. “You're useless to us all unarmed. At least with a weapon, you have a chance against someone coming after us.”

“I'm useless anyways, until someone gets hurt.” Lanyon corrected.

“Less so now. I'm giving you credit, Robert, take it. You don't want to be useless in these games.”

Robert supposed she was right. If he was useless, he was a liability. And Robert and Henry may be their allies, but Rachel and Jasper were a team.

If they had to, they would take both tributes from District 1 out to survive.

Lanyon’s rather grim thoughts were interrupted by a howl, coming from deeper into the woods. “Jasper!” Rachel cried, and ran towards the source, leaving Robert no choice but to follow her.

 

Martin Mosley had barely escaped the bloodbath with his life. After the fight with Bryson, from District 6, he was tired, unarmed, and unsettled. All too aware of his own mortality.

It had been far too close. He had looked back while fleeing and seen the woman from District 8 stab Bryson through the chest and leave him dead and known all too well that had almost been him.

And now he was still running. He had not bothered to stop when he had found water, he was too scared to risk stopping.

He didn't like the surface. He felt open, exposed, and he wanted to find a cave to hide in and defend. It would be the perfect spot to camp out, and only face attackers that came after him. He would be safe to wait out part of the games, and try and come up with his plan.

Andrew Doddle was already dead. He had not know Doddle until they had both been called, but he was sad nonetheless.

It meant he was all that was left of District 2. If he died, that was it.

So he had to stay alive. He just had to stay alive. Just keep moving. He was fast and quiet and no one would catch him, he had a head start.

The ground was firm beneath his feet, though the brambles growing over it tried to trip him with every step he took. His breath was coming in gasps, his heart pounding in his ears.

He was terrified and wanted to get home. Home to his parents, home to his training. He lived in the mines and he loved it there. He wanted to get back there. Into the cool, dark underground, surrounded by echoes and rock and other quiet people. All this excitement with the games was too much for him, he hated it.

He just wanted to get home. If he could outlast the others, he could get home. And he would never have to spend another day on the surface if he did not want to.

So he just had to keep moving. Keep on running. He couldn't stop.

_Click._

Something gave under his foot. He didn't get a chance to work out what it might have been before what he had just stepped on exploded under his foot, hurling him off the ground-

And everything went black in a burst of fiery pain.

 

Sitting in a tree nearby, eating an apple she had stolen from the cornucopia, Virginia Ito smiled as she watched the small, molish man from District 2 step right onto her trap.

Moreau had not wanted to let her take anything. But the prospect of landmines spread throughout the forest, if she could be allowed to take some supplies, had enticed him.

She would make better ones soon out of the plates the tributes had entered the arena on.

But this one had suited its purpose quite well, for a start.

She smiled as the cannon went off for Martin Mosley.

 

“Found you, Juliet…” Hyde muttered as his finally caught up with Jasper.

He had been tracking Jasper for a while now. Jekyll was getting tired of it, but why did Hyde care what Jekyll thought? This was _his_ time to shine. Not Jekyll’s.

So, now that he had caught up with the young, brown haired boy, Hyde swung himself out of the pine tree he was currently in, and dropped to the ground behind him.

“Oh, good, you're back, Henry. I had thought you had gotten los-" Jasper turned around, an odd look painted on his face. “You aren't Henry! But… you smell like him… who are you? What do you want?”

“I am _not_ Henry Jekyll. You're right about that. And who am I? I am your worst nightmare, Juliet!” Hyde replied, a grin spreading across his face.

“Who- you aren’t a tribute!” Jasper cried, stumbling backwards. Hyde paced him, step for step.

“Sure I am. How else would I be in the arena?” Hyde asked mockingly, running his finger along the blade of the knife in his hand.

“What district are you from?” Jasper demanded.

“One. And you're stalling. Very boring tactic, Juliet.” Hyde remarked. Took a step forward.

“But I know both the tributes from District 1!” Jasper cried.

“Quit stalling!” Hyde snapped, and slashed the knife towards Jasper’s face.

The kid had good reflexes. He ducked back in the nick of time.

 _Now you_ have _to kill him._ Jekyll warned. _You told him which district you're from._

“Was always the plan anyways.” Hyde replied, lunging at Jasper again.

Again, the boy stepped back. Hyde growled and grit his teeth. He was sick of this evasiveness it was going to cost him the time he had to kill this kid. Rachel would be back soon and he knew from Jekyll’s experience he wouldn't see the knife coming.

And he wouldn't get a second chance to dodge.

 _So quit playing and attack him, Hyde. I know you can do more than slash a knife around._ I _can do that._ Jekyll muttered.

He was right. Jasper had no weapon. All Hyde had to do was get him on the ground.

So he lunged forwards and caught the knife against the side of Jasper’s arm this time, but the boy managed to get a hand on his shoulder and throw him away.

He opened his mouth to shout and Hyde jumped at him, pinning him to the ground and forcing a hand over his mouth. “Don't you dare yell for help!” He hissed, and then Jasper shoved him off and he barely managed to get the blade into the boy’s side when he _should_ have been able to do whatever he wanted. Jasper _should_ have been at his mercy but now he was scrambling to his feet, several feet away.

When had the kid gotten that strong?

Speaking of Jasper… something odd was happening to him.

Something all too familiar, though it was a much quicker change. He was on the ground, human, in one instant, the next he was writhing, mouth open in a wordless scream and really, if Hyde had been smart he would have killed Jasper right then, and then the next moment…

There was a wolf lunging for his face. “Jesus Christ!” Hyde shouted, scrambling backwards. The wolf growled.

This was not good. This was so not good.

Jasper was now controlling the fight. Swinging massive paw after massive paw towards the blond, who could only retreat, eyes fixed on the sharp claws attached to each paw.

But Jasper was faster than him. And Hyde didn't get a choice in the matter when one of Jasper’s massive paws caught the side of his chest, he was flung to the side and went down like a rock, winded, bleeding.

 _Get up get up get up get up!_ Jekyll shrieked at the wolf bounded over to the blond, but Hyde was still wheezing on the ground and his legs wouldn't work just yet. _HYDE!_

The wolf was on top of him now. Hyde’s fingers were numb and he could barely feel the hilt of the knife, still held in them. He could just barely breathe again and then a massive jaw full of huge, glistening teeth rushed down at him and this was it this was how he was going to die he was never even going to get a kill to his name any second now the massive teeth would tear out his throat and leave him to bleed out in seconds- but the teeth never came.

Jasper hesitated.

Hyde did not. He twitched his fingers, found that they worked again, and drove the knife up into Jasper’s chest, tearing it down the length of the wolf’s torso.

It took both hands to get through it, but it did work. Blood poured down onto Hyde, he moved quickly, too much blood would show too much on Jekyll’s clothes, and the ground, and Jasper _howled_ in pain, and fell to the ground.

 _Get up and run._ Jekyll ordered. Hyde heard footsteps charging towards him and the dying wolf and didn't stop to argue.

He made it into the trees just as Rachel made it to the battlefield. A knife whizzed by his ear, didn't clip it but it left a divot in his hair, but by God's grace she didn't follow him.

She stopped at Jasper.

And Hyde vanished into the woods to the sound of a cannon. “You're up again, Jekyll.” He muttered. “As much fun as that was-"

 _That was not fun you nearly died! You need to be more careful!_ Jekyll shouted.

“Whatever. Just get back in control and catch up with your boyfriend and Romeo.” Hyde said dryly, wiping the blood off the knife and throwing it back in his bag. “And make sure you hide the claw marks in your jacket.”

 

 

District 1- Luxury: Jekyll (17), Lanyon (18)  
 ~~District 2- Masonry: Mosley (14), Doddle (15)~~  
District 3- Technology: Pennebrygg (16), Flowers (15)   
District 4- Fishing: Helsby (17), Maijabi (18)   
District 5- Power: ~~Tweedy~~ ~~(15)~~ , Ito (16)   
District 6- Transport: ~~Bryson~~ ~~(17)~~ , Griffin (17)   
District 7- Lumber: Morcant (18), Moreau (18)   
District 8- Textiles: Frankie (18), Creature (14)   
District 9- Grain: ~~Jasper (14)~~ , Rachel (15)   
District 10- Livestock: ~~Lavender~~ ~~(14)~~ , Cantilupe (18)   
District 11- Agriculture: ~~Bird~~ ~~(18)~~ , Archer (16)   
District 12- Mining: Sinnett (15), Luckett (16)


	12. Chapter 12

“How much of that was aired?” Seneca Crane barked from where he stood behind a screen, just having watched a kid with no business being in the arena gut one tribute from District 9. “How much did the districts see?” He demanded.

“As much as we did, sir. Not enough.” A young woman replied.

Seneca grit his teeth together. “God DAMMIT! How did he get in here? Who the hell is he?” He shouted. “He killed a tribute! We need to know who he is!”

“Sir, I'm going through the footage as we speak.” The same woman assured him.

“Who do the trackers have in the area?”

“Both tributes from districts 1 and 9, sir.” A new voice replied.

“The blond man isn't a tribute he won't be being tracked anyways.” The woman from before reasoned.

“Then _how_ did he get into the arena? Which district is he from?” Seneca insisted.

“We can't ask. If we contact the mayors or start poking around, the people will know we've lost control of the-"

“We are in control of the games!” Seneca snapped. He couldn't have lost control. Not now.

But how had a mystery tribute gotten into the arena? He had not been there at the start of the games, how was he there now? The arena was impenetrable, not even the tributes knew where it was.

“Well, we can't ask the districts who he is. District 1’s mayor has a son in the games. If he _suspects_ that the games have fallen from our control, even a little bit, we could have uprisings on our hands.”

Seneca nodded. She was right. Even District 1, as close as any district could be with the Capitol, would revolt if they thought the games were any worse than usual. Especially with the mayor’s son in the games. “Just… just find him. _Now.”_

“Sir, when we find him, what do we do with him?” The woman asked.

Seneca finally smiled. A gruesome, terrible smile. “Send something for him, and get a cannon ready. If he wants to be a tribute… let him be a tribute.”

 

She never should have left him on his own.

She should have gone after him she should have gone looking for him if she had been _seconds_ quicker she might have saved him she might have avenged him but now the blond _bastard_ who had killed Jasper had vanished into the thick pine trees and her knife had missed and he had gotten away scott-free.

Robert was frozen with his mouth open. He had been offering to help, asking to be allowed to see the wound when the cannon had gone off.

Help was pointless now. Rachel fell to her knees beside the all-too-still wolf in front of her. “Jasper…”

She sniffled, brushed tears angrily out of her eyes. She would not cry she had promised herself she would not cry it was the Hunger Games she could not afford to cry.

She had to keep going. “We’re going to find him.” She declared.

“Who? Henry? He's missing, too.” Robert remarked.

“No but we can add him to the list. We’re going to find the blond tribute who killed Jasper.” Rachel declared, running her fingers through Jasper’s soft fur. She kissed the top of his head in a goodbye, and god, she wanted to break down crying but she _couldn't_ she had to be strong right now. She had to win. For Jasper.

So she got to her feet, put her hands on her hips. “We have to find Henry, and then _I’m_ going after Jasper’s killer. Whether you two help me or not.”

“So this is Jasper?” Lanyon asked, motioning to the wolf. “I thought Jasper was a kid, about fourteen… this is a wolf.”

“The girl from District 7 isn't- wasn't the only werewolf in the games.” Rachel agreed. She walked over and pulled her knife out of the trunk of a tree. “That's how I knew how to tell someone was a werewolf. Of course, the girl Jasper pointed out to me. He could smell it.”

She felt numb. She couldn't feel the unbearable ache of Jasper being gone. She was numb.

If anything, she felt the burning need revenge.

“As for a blond tribute… do you mean Victoria Frankenstein?” Lanyon asked.

“No. I had never seen this tribute before in my life. But he's in the arena and I'm going to make him pay for what he did to Jasper.” Rachel declared. “Step back. The hovercraft will be here for him soon and… we can't stop it from taking him. And we probably wouldn't want to.”

Robert followed her over to the edges of the small clearing.

There were claw marks in the dirt, and scuffs from boots, too. She could see where Jasper had transformed, where his boots turned into pawprints.

It hasn't done him any good.

“Rachel, I don't mean to disturb you, but we should look for Henry.” Robert suggested. “I know it's tough but we shouldn't-"

“You don't know anything about it, Robert. And don't assume it's too tough for me to deal with.” Rachel snapped. “We’ll find Henry. Can't lose another ally today.”

“God forbid you be stuck with me as your only ally.” Robert joked.

God, he was trying so hard to lighten the mood that Rachel couldn't bring herself to get angry with him. He was only trying to help, after all. Maybe he didn't know how to do it very well, but he was trying. That was something. “A doctor is never completely useless. At least you can patch us up.” She pointed out. “Any idea where Henry might have gone?”

“None.” Robert confessed. “If Jasper was a wolf and this happened, it's possible the blond tribute you saw or the wolf from District 7 already killed him.” He admitted. “Henry may be smart, but all he has is a knife to defend against teeth and claws, or defend against someone who can kill a werewolf.”

“I don't think it was all skill. That man just got lucky. In order for him to have gutted Jas, he must have been pinned underneath Jas. So Jas did something wrong.” Rachel decided.

It was cold and callous but she had to admit that to herself. She had to move on and that was how she would do it. She had to look at the situation honestly.

It didn't mean she couldn't avenge him. She should avenge him. But she couldn't lie to herself about this. Jasper had made a mistake.

Which was hope for her. This man couldn't best a werewolf. Not fairly. If he could, he would have been a lot harder to kill.

“Rachel? There's a blood trail going this way!” Robert called.

“That’s the blond tribute. I'll follow it once we’ve found Henry.” Rachel replied.

She glanced back at Jasper.

The hovercraft was there, and she knew it was the last time she would ever see him.

But she was going to find the one who had done this. And she would make him pay for every second of pain he put her through over this.

 

Jekyll was very leary when returning to where Robert and Rachel were.

It did not take a genius to see he had been in a fight. His coat was soaked in Jasper’s still-warm blood, he had three long scratches in his side, quite clearly from claws.

How much more obvious could he get?

“Couldn't you have moved? Do you know how much these scratches hurt! Jasper went deep!” He hissed.

 _I tried! He was faster than me, until the end, of course._ Hyde replied. _And trust me, I know they hurt. I ran with them. And finished killing the wolf with them. You'll have to get Robert to patch them up. He won't question them like Rachel would._

“You didn't finish killing anyone. You got lucky.” Henry shot back. “Jasper had you pinned and was seconds away from tearing out your fucking throat.”

_But he didn't. He hesitated. I didn't._

“I know. But you need to be way more careful!” Jekyll scolded. “You can't keep coming down to close calls like that, someday luck won't be on our sides and we’ll end up dead!”

 _What's the harm in that? I thought you wanted to die so that darling little Robert could live!_ Hyde mocked. _You should be grateful if I get us killed!_

“Just shut up, Hyde. You're not helping anyone, you're just being a pain.” Jekyll told him irritably.

He had blood dripping down his side. His coat hide the stains on his front well, and he had wiped away most of the blood from his skin, he may not have had a mirror but he had Hyde, who was quick to point out a missed spot.

Blood could get them caught.

And now he could feel it running down his side. “Goddamn it…” He muttered, stopping and pressing a hand to the wounds.

It came back bloody. Too bloody. “This isn't going to work. We won't be able to hide that. Not until Rachel goes to sleep.” He muttered.

 _We have to! Neither one of us is in a state to fight Rachel!_ Hyde cried.

“Well then what would you like me to do, Hyde? Have you got a better plan? Anything suggest besides smartass comments and pointing out the obvious?” He spat. “If you want me to ignore it, we really will die!”

Hyde fell silent, clearly stung.

“Henry?” Robert called, spotting the brunet and racing over to his side. “Oh, thank God you're alive!” He cried, pulling Henry into a tight hug.

“Ow!” Jekyll squeaked before he could stop himself, Robert’s embrace made it feel like his cut side was burning.

Of course, his exclamation blew his chance to hide the wounds.

“Oh, god, you're hurt!” Robert cried, holding him out at arms length, moving Henry’s arm out of the way so that he could see the long, deep marks in his side. “Christ. Did the other werewolf get you?” He asked worriedly.

“Other?” Jekyll echoed.

“Morcant. The woman who was chasing you. She's a werewolf, which I assume you know now.” Lanyon explained.

 _Act about the other one again. Pretend you only know about Morcant, and that Jasper is the one you haven’t realized yet._ Hyde ordered.

“What other one is there, besides the one who attacked me?” Jekyll asked, letting out a hiss of pain as Lanyon pressed his fingers experimentally against Jekyll’s side.

“Sorry. And the other one is- sorry, was, Jasper.” Lanyon explained.

“Was?” Jekyll repeated, playing dumb.

“He was the cannon from earlier.” Robert said sadly. “Rachel saw a blond man running from Jasper’s body, he left a blood trail she intends to follow, but neither of us had any idea who he was.” He continued.

 _Don't worry. The blood trail will vanish the moment I went into the trees. She won't track it all the way to you._ Hyde assured him. _And maybe Lanyon isn't as useless as he seems. He just spoon fed you a reason to be hurt, and all the explaining you needed to know what you know._ The blond finished.

That was true. He wouldn't have even known Morcant was a werewolf without Lanyon handing it to him.

“Come on, Rachel is waiting for us back in the clearing.” Lanyon muttered. “I'll find something to patch you up with back there.” He decided. Wrapped an arm around Jekyll’s side to help him walk. “Are you okay to get back there? It's not far.”

Jekyll nodded.

 _So say you wounded Morcant. That's the blood on your coat._ Hyde suggested.

Okay, that was a plan. But what about Rachel? She would start getting suspicious eventually and would track the blond tribute back to Jekyll.

_Oh, I am counting on her doing that. Course, if she doesn't figure it out fast enough, I'll show her. I took care of Juliet, and I have a plan for our little Romeo, too._

Hyde appeared on Jekyll’s other side. He was still bleeding, even not in possession of the body. Red splattered on the ground near the blond only to disappear seconds later.

Of _course_ he had a plan for Rachel. Hyde loved to meddle with people that were actually important.

 _She's not important. I don't need help, I told you that._ Hyde insisted. _I can win all by myself._

Sure. Brave words coming from the person who’s first fight had nearly killed him. Hyde could play confident all he wanted. Jekyll and he both knew Hyde had been vastly underprepared for that fight with Jasper, and was only alive because Jasper had hesitated.

 _It's a mistake I won't make twice._ Hyde huffed. _I underestimated him. I won't underestimate anyone else. That includes Romeo._

Jekyll didn't have time to focus much more on what Hyde was saying, Robert had gotten them back to Rachel. “What happened to you?” She demanded.

“Morcant.” Jekyll lied.

“Rachel, I know you want to follow the trail, but I need to do something about his wounds. They're not enough for him to bleed out, but they’ll get infected if they're left open.” Lanyon said.

Rachel looked around them. “Fine. We’ll camp out here for the night, it seems to be getting darker, so it must be night.” She decided. “How did she hurt you, Henry?”

“Looks like she caught him with her paw.” Robert replied, shucking off Jekyll’s coat and pulling up his black shirt. “He’s got claw marks in his side, and it's probably going to bruise. She got him good.” He reported.

“Why didn't she finish you, Henry?” Rachel asked suspiciously. “How did you stop her?”

“I had the knife in my bag and managed to get her in the side with it. She decided it wasn't worth fighting me to kill me, I guess.” Jekyll made up the story quite quickly.

“Can you patch the wounds with anything?” Rachel asked Robert.

“Not without wrecking someone’s clothes.” Robert replied.

“Just use my shirt.” Jekyll suggested.

“Your shirt is too torn up for me to get a big enough piece.” Robert informed him. “I could use mine though.” He decided. “I'm bigger than you so it’ll give me some fabric to work with.”

Jekyll sat, silent, as Robert did exactly that. He used pieces of Jekyll’s black shirt to make a sort of padding over the wounds, and tied part of his own over the whole thing.

 _That’s just going to fall off next time we transform._ Hyde remarked.

He was right about that. It was tight around Jekyll’s chest, but it would be loose on Hyde. Hyde would just have to make sure not to lose it so they could put it back on once they switched back to Jekyll.

“We’ll sleep in shifts. Henry, you're hurt, so you sleep the first to. I'll stay up first.” Rachel decided.

Henry felt a twinge of guilt over her statement.

He was hurt because Hyde had killed her boyfriend, and here she was looking out for him.

“Get some rest, Henry. You'll feel better in the morning.” Robert muttered, and pulled Jekyll’s coat back onto his shoulders. “Or rather, hopefully you'll feel better when I wake you for watch.”

Jekyll nodded and curled up on the ground, and closed his eyes. Robert curled up close beside him.

 

District 1- Luxury: Jekyll (17), Lanyon (18)  
 ~~District 2- Masonry: Mosley (14), Doddle (15)~~  
District 3- Technology: Pennebrygg (16), Flowers (15)   
District 4- Fishing: Helsby (17), Maijabi (18)   
District 5- Power: ~~Tweedy~~ ~~(15)~~ , Ito (16)   
District 6- Transport: ~~Bryson~~ ~~(17)~~ , Griffin (17)   
District 7- Lumber: Morcant (18), Moreau (18)   
District 8- Textiles: Frankie (18), Creature (14)   
District 9- Grain: ~~Jasper (14)~~ , Rachel (15)   
District 10- Livestock: ~~Lavender~~ ~~(14)~~ , Cantilupe (18)   
District 11- Agriculture: ~~Bird~~ ~~(18)~~ , Archer (16)   
District 12- Mining: Sinnett (15), Luckett (16)


	13. Chapter 13

James could not keep running like this forever. He could not. He knew that.

But at the moment, this wasn't a matter of If he could or not. It was a matter of he had to. The woman behind him was not going to stop chasing him, that meant he could not quit running.

Why was she after him already? He hadn't done anything he'd thought he’d been well hidden. He hadn't tried to stir up trouble. Maijabi’s whole plan had been to lay low until the second half of the games.

But then Victoria Frankenstein had spotted him, and decided he was worth the effort of chasing.

Which led him to here. Running for his life through the pine forest all around them.

He didn't know where to go. He didn't think he could get away but he had to. He couldn't die like this, not that easily. He was trained for this, unlike the pathetic tributes of Districts 1 and 2, who had been a disappointment this year.

So disappointing, in fact, that both tributes from District 2 were already dead. Maijabi had seen their faces in the sky last night.

He wouldn't be surprised if he saw District 1 there soon.

Assuming he survived the day. He couldn't let this woman from District 8 take him out. No way. He was going to win. He was going to get home.

Something had changed behind him. He could hear no more footsteps, only coughing. Choking.

He risked a glance behind him and saw that Frankenstein was choking up blood.

This was his chance. He kept running.

WHAM!

That plan was ended when Maijabi ran straight into something- someone, and landed on his ass on the wet ground. “Hurry, Victoria. He won't stay down forever.”

“I could have handled him myself, Creature.” The woman muttered as she walked up behind Maijabi.

So it hadn't been his chance.

He couldn't help but close his eyes as Frankenstein moved.

“Eight down, fourteen to go.”

 

Henry awoke to a cannon. He sat up and looked frantically over at Robert.

Robert had also just sat up. “I'm safe, wasn't mine.” He promised.

“Thank God.”

“Tonight we mean it when we say you're getting woken up for watch. Robert convinced me to let you sleep and try and recover, but I'm not staying up half the night tonight.” Rachel warned.

“You-"

“We split the night into alternating shifts and let you sleep.” Robert replied. “You need rest if you're going to be able to keep moving today. We need to find water. Especially since I would like to wash the cuts in your side.”

“We’re following the blood trail, first.” Rachel interrupted.

Henry looked around. “Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't it rain last night? How are we going to follow a blood trail?” He asked.

Thank God for the rain. He wasn't sure he could trust that Hyde had ensured the blood trail stopped and wouldn’t lead straight back to him.

“I still want to try!” Rachel declared.

“But right now, if we follow the way the water is running on the ground, we can find where it collects.” Henry insisted. He looked over to the path Hyde had taken out of this clearing. “I don't see anymore blood for you to follow.”

“I have to find the man who killed Jasper. That trail, as gone as it is, is my only option right now. I have to try.” Rachel insisted.

“We all need water or we’ll die of dehydration before you can find the guy who killed Jasper.” Henry said patiently.

“But-"

“Rachel. Henry's right. We follow the water trail for today. I am sure this will not be the only time we see the man who killed Jasper.” Robert said quickly.

 _He's definitely right about that._ Hyde chuckled. _How's your side?_

Henry pointedly ignored the blond. Hyde knew exactly how his side was, it was Hyde’s fault he was hurt in the first place.

 _I was_ trying _to be friendly, but sure, you can be a dick if you want to._

“Fine.” Rachel said, interrupting Hyde’s complaining. “We can go after the water.” She seemed defeated.

“If one of us gets killed, you're welcome to force the other to do something practical, like we did to you.” Robert offered.

“It's not the same!” Rachel snapped. “You have no idea what this is like, Robert! Don't you compare this to losing someone you likely don't even care about!”

Ouch. She didn't know how much that hurt. “You're right. We don't know what this is like. But we know Jasper would want you to win. Not chase revenge and die of dehydration.” Henry told her.

_Good play. She’ll be hard-pressed to argue with you on that._

“Lets just go. I want to get out of here.”  Rachel decided, getting to her feet. “Get up, you two.”

Robert picked himself off the ground and hauled Jekyll up. “Well, time to follow the puddles, I guess.”

“I guess.” Henry agreed. “We do have to find water somehow.”

“That we do. Shame about Jasper. He was a nice kid. I'll be honest, if you can't win I was rooting for one of them. I guess it'll be Rachel.” Lanyon remarked, letting Jekyll lean against his side as they followed a stream of rainwater making its way across the bed of pine needles that covered the ground.

“I guess so. It's part of the charm of the games, though.” Henry forced a smile. “I wish you were at home watching, though.”

“I wish the same for you.” Lanyon told him.

“You know I don't need you to hold me up, I can walk, Robert.” Jekyll said mildly.

“You lost a fair bit of blood. I would rather you take it easy for today.” Robert told him. “It can only help, after all.”

Henry nodded.

“Soon we’ll have found water, and I'll clean out the wound and then bind it again. Then we can leave it to heal.”

“Sounds good to me.” Henry agreed.

They walked in silence for a while. Rachel led the way, following the water trail, Henry leaning harder than he had thought he would against Robert. Turned out the wounds really were bothering him.

“Are you feeling okay? Do you need to rest?” Robert asked.

“We don't have time for that. It's getting warm out again and soon the water will be absorbed into the earth. But I forgot, you two are from District 1 and wouldn't know the first thing about that!” Rachel huffed.

“Are you alright, Rachel?” Lanyon asked.

“No I'm not alright!” Rachel snapped. “Jasper is dead are you really so stupid that you think I am alright, Robert?” She cried. “Do you think anything is alright right now? That anything will ever be alright again? I saw his face in the sky last night I saw him die and I'm letting the bastard who killed him get away so we can find some fucking water! Don't you ever for a second make the mistake of thinking I am remotely okay!” She shouted.

“Sorry.” Robert said meekly. “But we ought to keep the volume down or someone else will find us.”

“Let them! I fucking dare them!” Rachel declared.

 _Oh my. I did a good job of fucking her up._ Hyde laughed. _But seriously. Get her to shut up._

“Rachel, we are in no state for a fight right now you really should keep quiet.” Henry said softly. “There will be time to fight later. Battles we choose.” He reached into his bag, handed her the canteen. “Here. Have a bit of water and we’ll keep moving.”

“You have water? Then why are we looking for it?” Rachel demanded.

“We don't have enough to last.” Henry replied in the mildest tone he could muster. “We have to find more. Now please, drink something.”

Rachel took a few sips from the canteen and handed it back. “Lets just keep going I can't win with you two.”

“We won’t win the games anything if we don’t find water.” Lanyon reminded her.

“ _We_ won’t win anything, and I refuse to pretend we will. We’ll be lucky if one of us survives to the end of the game. Only one person wins. We’re two people too many.” Rachel reminded them.

“Are you going to give up on this alliance already, Rachel?” Henry asked, red eyes going wide. “You can’t be serious!” He cried, looking over at the girl. She refused to look back at him, which didn't seem like a reassuring sign.

“No! That’s not what I meant but… I don’t know anymore, Henry. Jasper was supposed to be here with me.” Rachel muttered, shrugging her shoulders. She shot him a helpless look. “And now he's not and what's the point anymore? And don't tell me winning for him because I know damn well neither of you want me to win.”

“It doesn't matter what we want. Now come on, I can hear water. We must be close to where it all collects.” Henry encouraged.

 _You'd better quit encouraging her to do what she wants, or we’ll be fighting her long before we’re in any state to do so, Henry._ Hyde warned. _If she does what she wants she's going to kill me, kill Robert and then win the games. Course she may kill you and waste her chance to win searching for me, but either way we’re still dead._

“What other choice do I have? It's this or let our little ally group fall apart.”

_So let it._

“No.”

_Then have fun getting Robert killed._

 

Griffin _had meant_ to lay low for a while. He really had. The best way to survive was to lay low, and let the threats deal with each other. He knew that. His coach had told him that more than one hundred times.

She hasn't told Bryson that, but that didn't matter because Griffin's fellow tribute was already dead. So a fat lot of good her advice for Bryson had served. Why should he believe her advice for him was going to work any better?

Which was why he wasn't listening to it. He was creeping along behind the tribute from District 11 while said tribute foraged the ground for something.

Griffin had been stalking this tribute all morning, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. He was unsure how stupid the tribute must be if he hadn't noticed Griffin yet, white hair and almost white skin didn't make hiding easy, and his boots continued to squelch in the mud the rain had left, but clearly, District 11 didn't teach its citizens to realize someone was following them. Or this tribute, Griffin was pretty sure his name started with a C, just hadn't paid attention when they had.

That must have been it, Griffin really should give District 11 the benefit of the doubt. It must have just been this one.

“I know you're there, Jack.” The tribute said suddenly. Griffin jumped. “You're noisier than my mother, and she’s half deaf. Honestly, have you been intentionally stepping in all the puddles and breaking all the branches? Not to mention you pretty much glow in the dark. Stealth is not your strong suit.”

Griffin grit his teeth.

“You may as well answer me. I know you're there.” The tribute continued. “The name is Christopher Archer, if you've forgotten, Jack Griffin.”

“If you knew I was here why didn't you say anything?” Griffin demanded.

“You aren't a threat.” Archer replied. “I’m not afraid of y-”

Archer clearly hadn’t been expecting Griffin to tackle him into the ground. He really should have, though.

Griffin drew his fist back and let it fly towards Archer’s nose. Archer twisted himself out of the way at the last second, and Griffin’s fist crashed into the hard ground. “Ow!”

And that was it for Griffin’s control of the situation. He was immediately shoved off Archer, landing hard on his back, winded, and barely got back to his feet before Archer was lunging at him. He barely had time to leap out of the way and let Archer stumble passed him.

This was not going according to plan. This was supposed to have been easy.

Within seconds, Archer had spun on his heel and lunged at Griffin again, a snarl on his face. Griffin side stepped again and managed to get his hands on Archer’s back, using his opponent’s own momentum to plant him face first into the ground. Rushed over, managed to catch Archer's ribs with his foot as the brunet rolled to the side.

Archer hissed in pain. Griffin felt a twinge of satisfaction, until his legs suddenly dropped out from under him, caught by Archer’s and pushed from below him. Griffin found himself on the ground, Archer on top of him. He struggled, and-

Wham!

A fist hit his face. Griffin’s lip was busted and bleeding, and by god it hurt.

Wham! And his nose. This could not be happening he needed to get control again. He struggled some more, another flying fist hit his eye and he managed to throw Archer off himself and scramble to his feet.

They circled each other, chests heaving, Griffin was stumbling. He needed to do something quickly, his head was spinning from the strikes he had sustained. His nose was spilling blood like a faucet, his mouth was full of blood.

His nose was probably broken.

Still, Griffin managed to get himself back the upper hand. His next strike went straight to Archer’s throat and the brunet _dropped_ to the ground, wheezing and retching, gasping for air, all in vain. He couldn't breathe and it was painfully clear.

Griffin wiped his face, smeared blood across it, kicked Archer hard in the chest. He cried out in pain, ended up on his back, clutching his stomach, tears streaking his cheeks. He looked like he was about to throw up.

He'd lost. He was done for he was through. Griffin stepped over to him, still gasping, struggling to catch his breath, and pressed his foot into Archer’s throat.

The man’s green eyes went wide, he thrashed, trying to push Griffin off but this time, Griffin wasn't moving. He could taste victory in this fight already. He pushed his toes harder into Archer’s throat.

It was an odd feeling. To stare at Christopher Archer, whose eyes were bugged out, mouth open but all that happened was a small croaking sound, and know that he was going to kill him. That only one of them was going to walk away from this fight, and it wasn't going to be Archer. He wasn't going to let it be Archer.

Archer’s struggled were getting weaker. He clawed at Griffin’s leg, trying desperately to relieve the pressure on his neck but Griffin stood his ground.

He just had to wait for the cannon. He could hold out that long.

After all… if Archer could last as long as it took for the cannon, so could he. He had the power here.

 

District 1- Luxury: Jekyll (17), Lanyon (18)  
 ~~District 2- Masonry: Mosley (14), Doddle (15)~~  
District 3- Technology: Pennebrygg (16), Flowers (15)   
District 4- Fishing: Helsby (17), ~~Maijabi (18)~~  
District 5- Power: ~~Tweedy~~ ~~(15)~~ , Ito (16)   
District 6- Transport: ~~Bryson~~ ~~(17)~~ , Griffin (17)   
District 7- Lumber: Morcant (18), Moreau (18)   
District 8- Textiles: Frankie (18), Creature (14)   
District 9- Grain: ~~Jasper (14)~~ , Rachel (15)   
District 10- Livestock: ~~Lavender~~ ~~(14)~~ , Cantilupe (18)   
District 11- Agriculture: ~~Bird~~ ~~(18)~~ , Archer (16)   
District 12- Mining: Sinnett (15), Luckett (16)


	14. Chapter 14

“Creature! Guard our camp. There is someone out in the woods around here, and I want to find them.” Victoria called to the boy.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” Creature asked, looking up at her from where he sat, sharpening a stick to spear the rabbit he had caught on. A fire was dangerous, but Frankenstein wasn’t afraid of anyone in these games.

“I am sure.” Victoria agreed.

“And what if you have another episode?” Creature asked, concern for her lighting his yellow gaze. “I do not want you getting hurt.” He continued.

“Oh, Creature, you worry too much about my little episodes.” Victoria scolded. “I haven’t had one-”

“Since one almost let Moreau kill you in the bloodbath. Are you _certain_ you don’t want me to go look for this person with you?” Creature insisted, placing the sharp stick on the ground.

“Yes, I am certain! God, you worry too much! It is not Moreau, it is probably one of the spoiled tributes from District 1, or some other person who could not fight me if they tried.” Frankenstein replied, rolling her olive green eyes. “Besides. I feel fine.” She continued, grabbing her sword from where it was leaning against a tree. “I will be back in no time.” She assured the boy.

Creature moved forwards and gave her a hug. “Be careful, Victoria.” He said softly.

“I am always careful, Adam.” She promised. And easy way to be sure he knew she was serious was to use his real name. “Now I need to go before the someone realized I know they're there.” She decided.

Creature sighed and let go of her. “Be back before this is cooked.”

“I'll try!” Victoria agreed, and walked off.

She could hear branches cracking further off from their camp. So the person had moved.

That was fine. Victoria still wanted to find them. She needed to be picking people off if she wanted to survive the games. A bit of a chase didn't bother her.

So she set out following the sound of crunching footsteps. The person wasn’t trying very hard not to be detected, they clearly weren't concerned with the idea of being caught.

Victoria only hoped she could not only catch them, but catch them unawares. She didn't fancy a fight. She didn't mind a chase, that tribute from District 4 had taken a chase, but she didn't want a fight. Too much risk of another bout of sickness being the death of her.

So she really couldn't get caught at all. She had promised Creature she would get home safely, and didn't intend to end up lying to him. She needed to make it back to camp for him.

Something brushed her shoulder and sank into the tree in front of her. Frankenstein spun around, saw a young girl with bright green-purple eyes and dark skin and hair standing behind her, a hand crossbow in her hands. She was loading another bolt into it.

It took another bolt flying at her that she barely ducked for Victoria to realize what had happened. Exactly what she hadn't wanted to happen. This girl was the one she had been tracking. The girl had detected her, and gotten behind her while she was so busy worrying about being found!

To be fair, once that happened, the element surprise was gone. Before the girl could load another bolt, Frankenstein lunged forwards.

The girl turned on her heel and ran.

Okay, this Frankenstein could deal with. She knew how to get around tough places much better than one of the spoiled kids form District 3. Her district may not have been one for forests or fields but at least, unlike District 3, she knew how to work physically. District 3 sat around and made machinery. The most physical work those pricks did was pick up the screwdriver they had dropped.

Which was why she was gaining on the girl. Excellent. This would be the ninth death, left only thirteen to go for it to be just her and Creature. And she would decide what to do about the fact that only one could win once it was down to just her and Creature, and not a second before.

Frankenstein saw the shift in the girl’s direction and barely figured out what she was doing before she did. The girl found a pine tree with good, sturdy branches, and scrambled up. Frankenstein tried to follow her, she was good at climbing trees, but once the girl was significantly higher, god, she was faster in these trees than on the ground, she started raining crossbow bolts down at Frankenstein, leaving her no choice but to jump down from the tree and linger nearby. There was a bolt stuck in her shoulder, she grunted and pulled it out before remembering her mistake and pushing her hand down onto the open wound. The girl clearly wasn't sure of her aim, since she stopped shooting once Frankenstein was out of an easy range.

Something was buzzing nearby, unless Victoria was just hearing things.

Frankenstein grit her teeth and reached into her pocket. Her hand felt numb, and she fumbled the roll of bandages that Creature had given her yesterday, out of the bag he had managed to grab. Quickly, she bound her shoulder up as tight as she possibly could, and returned to the base of the tree.

The girl’s fingers were shaking as she loaded the next bolt. It didn't look like she did it right, so Victoria wasn't concerned. She grabbed onto the branches at the bottom and began hauling herself up, hands almost immediately getting covered in sap.

 _Snap!_ The girl tried to fire the crossbow, but it misfired and shot the bolt out strangely. Frankenstein kept climbing… until she realized what the bolt _had_ hit.

The buzzing. Frankenstein dropped out of the tree back to the ground as a swarm of tracker jackers left the nest, and the bottom half of the nest hit the ground right beside her. Almost immediately, she was stung, on her hand and then again on her cheek, but she just had to keep moving. They couldn't sting through her jacket. She shielded her face with her arm and kept running, even as.more of the internal bugs stung her legs and the pain started to make her feel woozy.

The girl in the tree fared far worse than Frankenstein. Victoria could hear her shrieking as more and more swarmed her, stinging her again and again as she tried to get out of the tree.

Until her feet slipped and she plummeted to the ground.

Frankenstein wasn't sure what had killed her, the stings or the fall. The cannon went off the moment she got the ground.

And Frankenstein only made it a few more steps before collapsing. “Creature!” She cried, and the pain took her under.

 

“Robert? Rachel? I caught something!” Henry called softly.

“You set up a trap?” Rachel asked. “Why?”

“We stopped here for a rest before we continue searching for water, I figured we should have some food. Not sure how we’ll cook it, or if we should dare, but I got a rabbit.” He explained. “I just need to take it down now, I want to save the rope I have."

“Did you kill it already?” Rachel asked.

“Yeah.” He almost hadn't had the heart to do it, but his growling stomach had been more than enough motivation. That and Hyde insulting him for being too soft to kill a rabbit.

“Well, I'm actually impressed. I didn't think you would be that good with traps.” Rachel admitted. “We've only been here what, an hour?”

“It's all luck. Some days you get lucky, like today, and some days you don't. So do we dare light a fire and cook it?” Jekyll asked.

“I say yes.” Robert decided. “There's too many diseases you can get from eating animals raw, and besides. It's neither dark, nor will the smoke be visible through the pine trees.”

Rachel nodded. “But, we should try and find water first. We’ll make camp before it gets dark, water or no water, and we can cook it then. Are you okay to carry it until then?” She asked Henry, who nodded.

“No problem. Just let me tie it up and we can go.” He agreed, taking a spare piece of rope and tying it around the rabbit’s legs. He threw his bag over his shoulder, lifted the rabbit by the rope, and smiled. “Well, let's go!”

“Here, I can carry something.” Lanyon offered.

_The rabbit, not the bag. I need the bag next time you let me out._

Henry handed him the roped up rabbit. It wasn't worth arguing with Hyde about strategy, he would just lose.

Robert didn't argue about what he was handed, anyways.

“Well, come on, I'm giving up searching for Jasper’s killer for this, so we'd better find some water.” Rachel insisted.

“We will find water.” Jekyll assured her. “That or we’ll die of dehydration, and since none of us want to give up, I think we’ll probably find some water.”

Rachel sighed. “I suppose you're right.” She conceded. “Come on, the water was running this way, though a lot of it has soaked into the ground by now.” She walked off.

Robert turned to Henry. “How are you doing?” He asked, concern lighting his brown eyes. “Is your side okay? I can carry the bag as well if you want.”

_No._

“I'm quite alright, Robert, thanks for offering but I’ve got it.” Henry assured him. “I can hardly feel any pain there at all.”

Which was a bit of a stretch, it still stung like fury if he stretched his arm out too far.

“I still can't believe you came that close to dying already... seeing what it's doing to Rachel…” Robert whispered.

“I'm not going anywhere just yet.” Henry promised.

“You got attacked by a werewolf.” Robert reminded him. “It's a bloody miracle you aren't dead already. So don't tell me that because I'm afraid I can't believe you. Jasper _was_ a werewolf and he already got killed, and yet you're still alive. That's luck and you know it.”

Henry thought back to when Jasper had died. Hyde would never admit it, but it had been pure luck. Jasper had hesitated when he had Hyde pinned, and that was the only reason he hadn't torn Hyde’s throat out. And Robert never would have known that Henry was dead. Not until the gamemakers checked the tracker in Hyde’s arm and knew who's face to put in the sky. “You're right.” He agreed. “But maybe luck will stay on our side.”

“Don't say that, you'll jinx it, Henry. We need all the luck we can get.”

“Are you guys coming?” Rachel asked impatiently. “I got fifty feet away before realizing you were following me! Not to mention I can hear rushing water now, we’re close to a stream.”

“That’s great news!” Henry cried, beaming at her. “Come on, let's go find the stream then.” He looked back at Robert. “We’ll be fine. Let's go.”

Robert nodded. The trio set off into the trees.

Once they could hear it, the stream wasn't hard to find. “Can we drink it without purifying it?” Henry asked Robert. His companion pulled a face.

“We shouldn't, but we’ll have to. Refill the canteen, Rachel, do you know how to light a fire?”

“Yes.”

Robert smiled. “Good. And I'll clean off your side when you're done filling the canteen, Henry. Then we can eat and get some sleep.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Henry agreed, reaching into his bag and grabbing the bottle of water.

There wasn't a lot of water left in it, he finished it and dipped the bottle into the stream, letting the current fill it for him.

It was about time that things went right, and it seemed that with the stream and rabbit, they were. And with the noise of the current, Henry could risk talking to Edward.

“So. What is your plan?”

 _Nothing until morning._ Edward replied.

“Yeah? Nothing for Rachel yet?” Henry sounded surprised.

_Oh no, not yet. I've got to let things get worse before you betray her._

“Me?” Henry gasped. “Why me?”

_You'll see._

Even before asked again, Henry knew he wasn't going to get anything else out of Edward on the matter.

 

Archer was mouthing something, clawing at Griffin’s ankle.

Griffin couldn't say he wasn't curious to know what Archer was trying to say. But he knew that moving his foot could mean an ambush, and having to restart this process.

Then again, Archer would have to get his breath back before he could attack and whatever he was trying to say seemed important. But for some reason, something about Archer, and his wide, pleading green eyes made him need to listen.

“You're going to make me regret this, aren't you.” And he moved his foot.

Archer immediately gasped, coughing and choking and retching on the ground. He rolled onto his side, dry heaving onto the ground.

“Hurry up, I am not going to stand here and let you regain all your strength and take me out.” Griffin warned.

Clearly, when all that came out of Archer’s mouth was a hiss, Griffin had to let him keep choking and trying so desperately to breathe. “Okay, come on, you pissbaby. If you had the ability to get me to stop when I had my foot on your throat you can talk to me.”

Archer’s throat convulsed several times before he managed to croak out, “wait.”

“I am waiting.” Griffin retorted. “I stopped stepping on your throat, didn't I?”

Archer nodded. Closed his green eyes and massaged his throat, before finally managing to talk, in a weak, raspy voice. “W-why kill each other?”

“Seems like a convenient suggestion to make when you're the one dying.” Griffin retorted, narrowing his pale blue eyes.

Archer shook his head, swallowed hard. “O-others… others team up… why not us?” He suggested.

“Why should I want to team up with you, Archer?” Griffin asked skeptically. “You don't seem like much use, considering how easily I took you out. I could just as easily put my foot back and finish the job, if you're done wasting my time.”

“No!” Archer gasped, still struggling to get his breath fully back. “No, please!” He begged. “Two people are better off than one, and… and if I'm so easy to subdue you can… you can just… just do this again when you're through, it shouldn't be a problem!”

Griffin contemplated that. Archer had a point. His nose hurt, but it hasn't been that hard to take Archer down and almost out. If he wanted to do it again, he would be able to.

And he wanted to agree. He really did. “Fine.” He reached down and hauled Archer to his feet. “Let's go, _partner.”_ He mocked, letting go of the boy’s hands.

Archer coughed.

 

District 1- Luxury: Jekyll (17), Lanyon (18)  
 ~~District 2- Masonry: Mosley (14), Doddle (15)~~  
District 3- Technology: Pennebrygg (16), ~~Flowers (15)~~   
District 4- Fishing: Helsby (17), ~~Maijabi (18)~~  
District 5- Power: ~~Tweedy~~ ~~(15)~~ , Ito (16)   
District 6- Transport: ~~Bryson~~ ~~(17)~~ , Griffin (17)   
District 7- Lumber: Morcant (18), Moreau (18)   
District 8- Textiles: Frankie (18), Creature (14)   
District 9- Grain: ~~Jasper (14)~~ , Rachel (15)   
District 10- Livestock: ~~Lavender~~ ~~(14)~~ , Cantilupe (18)   
District 11- Agriculture: ~~Bird~~ ~~(18)~~ , Archer (16)   
District 12- Mining: Sinnett (15), Luckett (16)


	15. Chapter 15

“Henry! Wake up!” Rachel hissed, nudging the brunet with the toe of her boot.

“Hey, careful.” Robert told her, pushing her foot away. “You don't want to hurt him worse.”

“Then you wake him up!” Rachel offered.

“Why bother? We've set up camp here, let him get some sleep. It'll do him good.” Robert told her.

“Those cuts aren't going to heal unless we get a gift from sponsors with an ointment for them, or he makes it out of the arena and the Capitol takes care of them. Your bandage is not a cure, just a measure not to make things worse. Sleep doesn't make a difference and we should keep moving.” Rachel declared.

“I'm still looking for the right greens to make an ointment for the cuts.” Lanyon protested.

“And how do you know anything about natural remedies? You guys have proper medicine everywhere in District 1!” Rachel snapped.

“Yes we do. But it never hurts to know what that medicine is made of.” Robert replied with a smile. “So let him sleep. We’ll keep moving when he wakes up. Have something to eat. And drink. Might help with how cranky you're being.”

Rachel moved back, stung. “Cranky? I'll show you cranky.” She warned.

“Please don't, I can't take much more than this.” Robert protested. Rachel glared at him. “Listen. I know you're hurting. I haven’t got a clue what you're going through, but taking it out on your allies won't help anyone.”

“Well, not waking Sleeping Beauty here up won't help us either! I want to be moving before Jasper’s killer can corner another one of us!” Rachel argued.

Why couldn't he see? What was wrong with him didn't he understand the danger they were in? Didn't he understand that they had to keep moving? They couldn't waste their time like this!

Robert looked down at the boy sleeping on the ground with such a look that Rachel finally thought she understood why the tributes of District 1 were joined at the hip. Why he had insisted on letting Henry sleep last night, and doting after him, making sure he was healthy and comfortable. “Wait. You… and him…”

Robert nodded. Looked away from them both.

And Rachel couldn't bring herself to make Robert do something that he believed would harm Henry. She would have killed anyone who tried to make her harm Jasper. “Fine. We’ll stay here until he wakes up.” She conceded.

“Don't tell him you know. He didn't want anyone to.” Robert said quickly. “He didn't want to be… well…”

Like her and Jasper. The pair of tragic lovers that the Capitol would mourn and sob over until the newest big thing came along. If the appearance of a mystery tribute hadn't stolen that hype.

Rachel hoped it had. “Of course. The secret is safe with me.” She agreed. “I'm sorry I said you wouldn't understand and… all of that.”

Robert shrugged his shoulders. “You didn't know.” He walked down to the edge of the stream, pulled off his boots and stuck his feet in the water.

“You'd better be able to get those on in a hurry if someone shows up!” Rachel warned, but this time with a good-natured smile.

“Faster than you'll be able to wake Henry up, trust me.” Robert agreed.

Rachel laughed a bit, pulled out the water bottle and drank what was left in it from last night. “Fill that up again, if you please!” She tossed it to Robert. “How does the water look? Does it pass the doctor’s inspection?” She teased.

“No, not really, but we don't have a choice now do we?” Robert replied. “It's running water, so it could be worse, if it was stagnant, but I still wish we had a way to purify it. Boiling it would work, but we don't have the pot to do that in.” He pulled his feet out and dipped the water bottle in.

“What's going on?” Henry asked, finally opening his eyes and sitting up.

“Robert’s inspecting the water source.” Rachel explained.

“Ah. I see.” Henry agreed, yawning and stretching out his back, until he clearly moved too much and he dropped his arms with a squeak.

“Are you feeling alright?” Robert asked, concern filling his brown eyes.

Now that she knew, Rachel wasn't sure how she had missed it in the first place. They were obviously a thing. Probably fairly recent, too. The poor things.

“I'm okay, Robert, don't worry about me.” Henry promised.

“Have something to drink.” Robert threw him the water bottle, which Henry barely managed to catch.

“Thanks.”

“No problem."

“Alright, everybody up, we need to keep moving.” Rachel decided.

“Let me check the trap, first.” Henry said.

“You set it again?” Rachel questioned. “I didn't notice.”

“Yeah, I did. We still have a bit of the rabbit left, but never hurts to have more than you think you'll need. You never know when hunting will wear off and we’ll be stuck with nothing.” Henry got to his feet and walked towards the pine trees.

Rachel looked over at Robert, who shrugged. “I don't know where he learned this, either. I know he suddenly had some skills when we got here. I guess he was working on them in secret in case, well, this happened. I'm surprised he didn't work on more combat skills though.” He remarked, looking puzzled.

“Maybe he did, and we just haven’t seen them yet. He did get away from a werewolf, Robert.” Rachel reasoned. “You don't often get to do that by luck. I would know.”

Though if she was honest… she was beginning to doubt Henry had gotten away from the werewolf he said he had.

Rachel was fairly sure he had something to do with the blond tribute.

She just had to find out how, and use Henry to take them both out.

She had to avenge Jasper, after all. Even if it meant killing an ally.

And hurting another.

 

“Holy shit!” Griffin stumbled backwards as a whip cracked in his face. Barely managed to stay on his feet as he dodged again. God, just to his luck, Archer was out looking for food and a lady with a whip shows up!

He jumped behind a tree and the whip cracked into the bark, narrowly missing his face. “Goddamn it, goddamn it…” it was easy to beat someone without a weapon. This woman had a weapon. This woman had a fucking whip!

She was older than him. Platinum hair, bright green eyes. Griffin grit his teeth and ducked as the whip cracked above his head. “Archer!” He shouted, and ran before the woman could try again.

It would take her time to kill him with a whip. But it would be easy to get him under control, and from there she only had to have patience.

When he felt the leather strap crack into his back he stumbled and veered left in hopes of gaining some ground while the woman turned. “Archer!” He shouted again.

Had he planned this? Was Archer in on this? Had his offer of help been nothing but a ruse and he was going to betray Griffin and let this woman kill him?

He didn't know, so Griffin kept running. It was all he could do. Without a weapon, he couldn't take that woman out so he just had to get away from her. Even as she got closer and closer and closer, and the weapon caught his arm. He was bleeding now, from both lashes. “Great. Archer!”

“Back off!” Griffin heard something crack behind him. Ran a few more feet before turning around.

Archer had finally shown up, a pine branch in his hand. He'd clearly hit the woman chasing Griffin with it, she had a gash on her forehead.

“It’s not worth fighting both of you.” She muttered to herself, flicked the whip once at Archer to make him jump back, and ran off.

Archer didn't chase her. “Jack! Are you alright you're bleeding!”

“I'm fine, she barely got me.” Griffin assured him. Archer still insisted on inspecting each wound.

“We should get bandages for them.” He decided.

“And how do you suppose we do that?” Griffin asked skeptically. “We can't just walk up to the cornucopia and take them, the careers will have taken it over!”

“What careers?” Archer asked skeptically. “Did you see Districts 1, 2 and 4? They're no careers.”

“Districts 7 or 8 are, though.” Griffin reasoned. “So one of them will be in control there.”

“I didn't say we would charge in announcing our arrival, did I?” Archer asked with a sly grin. His green eyes were sparkling.

“What have you got planned, Christopher?” Griffin asked.

“Why don’t you just wait and see, Jack?” Archer asked. “No, but seriously, it involves you playing decoy, since you proved yesterday you are no good at stealth.”

“Oh, sure, risk my life.” Griffin scoffed.

“It’s either that or you have to be able to sneak to the cornucopia and steal a weapon and some bandages.” Archer reasoned.

“Fair, continue.” Griffin agreed.

And that was how he ended up running screaming across the starting circle, trying to attract Moreau’s attention. It was not a plan he liked, but he trusted that Archer would be able to uphold his part, and that somehow he would be able to outrun Moreau.

That part was a little bit more far-fetched, but it was that or quit, and Moreau was already chasing him. So all he could do now was keep moving, and hopefully lose Moreau before he reached the designated meet-up spot.

Which could be harder than it seemed. Moreau was fast. Griffin darted into the trees. Maybe if he could make enough crazy turns, he could lose his pursuer. He just needed to keep moving, it was easy. Just keep running, turn here, duck there, and keep running into the woods.

“Moreau! They’re stealing from the camp!” A female voice shouted, and the footsteps immediately stopped.

Unfortunately, Griffin also had to turn around and find Archer, if he had been caught. He raced back towards the cornucopia, he had to get there before Moreau got there and killed his only ally. That was not a good way to end today. Not to mention it was a really shitty way to thank Archer for saving him that morning.

“Archer!” He shouted.

“Get out of here!” Archer replied, darting passed him. “They saw someone else taking advantage of our distraction, keep moving!” He ordered.

Griffin turned around again and followed Archer. “What did you get?”

“Some bandages and a bow and arrows.” Archer replied. “I can’t shoot but how hard can it be?”

Griffin suspected it was a lot harder than that, but didn’t argue with Archer’s logic. Right now, anything was useful. “When can we stop?” He asked.

“Any time you feel safe.” Archer replied.

“Well, I'm sick of running and we’re pretty far from the cornucopia. And my arm is bleeding again.” Griffin remarked. “So now might be good.”

“Oh, right, you're hurt!” Archer cried, and immediately stopped running. Griffin nearly ran into him. “Sit down, we’ll bandage you up and then go looking for water.” He decided.

“You know, until you mentioned water, I had forgotten that I was thirsty.” Griffin complained.

“Brains are great, aren't they.” Archer laughed. “Give me your arm. And take off your coat.”

There was no sense in arguing with him, Archer clearly knew what he was doing, and Griffin didn't want to argue anyways, so he shucked off his coat and held his arm out to Archer.

His ally’s hands were warm, fingers gentle as they wound bandages around the lash in Griffin’s arm. “You really can't handle any more blood loss, you are already halfway to being a ghost!”

Griffin was silent, having no clue what point Archer was driving at. “Should I be insulted?”

“I'm just joking around about how pale you are again. You're so pale you're barely there, losing more blood will- never mind. It's not funny if I have to explain it.” Archer decided. Tied the bandage off. “Let me patch up your back as well.”

 

“Victoria. Victoria, wake up!” Creature shook the woman’s shoulder insistently.

She had been asleep since yesterday. It was a wonder she was still breathing, given the amount of tracker jacker venom must have been in her veins. Creature had been stung as well, while going to rescue Victoria, but no where near as much as his fellow tribute. He had pulled the stingers out and been mostly fine within a few hours.

He had pulled the stingers out of Victoria’s skin as well, but he was not sure he had been quick enough. Not sure that he had acted fast enough to save her. Not sure that she could be saved at all.

“Victoria? Please wake up.” He shook her shoulder again. No response. “Dammit! You told me you would be careful! You promised me you would be careful! This doesn't look like careful!” He whisper-shouted. He didn't want to be caught. Not with Victoria this vulnerable. It would be far too easy for Moreau and an ally to overwhelm Creature and finish the job he had started with Victoria.

And Creature had promised himself he would keep Victoria Frankenstein safe. He owed her that. He had to keep her alive she had to make it back to District 8. He was on borrowed time already. Victoria wasn't. She hasn't already had her miraculous survival. So Creature would repay her for giving him his in these games. Repay her by means of his own death. It was unfortunate but true.

But she had saved his life. He owed her the same.

Something fell in front of him. A jar with a silver parachute. And a note. _Use it sparingly,_ written in Henry Clevral’s handwriting.

Creature didn't know what he was, but he knew what its effect must have been. Quickly, he opened the jar and smeared some of the cream on each of the stings covering every inch of Victoria’s exposed skin. Didn't bother putting it on his own, he was fine now, and the letter said to save it. He closed the jar and wrapped it in the silver parachute. “Thank you.” He said to no one, hoping the sponsors could hear.

The sponsors that had probably saved Victoria’s life.

Unfortunately, now he had to wait for it to work. And Creature hated nothing more than waiting. Especially on something as urgent as this.

And when there was nothing to do, really. This was the Hunger Games. Time wasters were few and far between.

So he had never been more grateful to hear coughing from Victoria Frankenstein, and to look over in time to see her sit up and choke up a stomach full of blood. “Ugh.” She groaned, rubbed her eyes. “Creature? Is that you?”

“Yes.” Creature agreed, smiling, but forcing himself to restrain from anything else. This was no time for ridiculous celebration. They weren't out of danger yet.

Victoria wiped the blood off her chin. “Thank God. I thought it was another dream.”

“I promise, this is no dream.”

“I know. I'm in too much pain.”

 

District 1- Luxury: Jekyll (17), Lanyon (18)  
 ~~District 2- Masonry: Mosley (14), Doddle (15)~~  
District 3- Technology: Pennebrygg (16), ~~Flowers (15)~~   
District 4- Fishing: Helsby (17), ~~Maijabi (18)~~  
District 5- Power: ~~Tweedy~~ ~~(15)~~ , Ito (16)   
District 6- Transport: ~~Bryson~~ ~~(17)~~ , Griffin (17)   
District 7- Lumber: Morcant (18), Moreau (18)   
District 8- Textiles: Frankie (18), Creature (14)   
District 9- Grain: ~~Jasper (14)~~ , Rachel (15)   
District 10- Livestock: ~~Lavender~~ ~~(14)~~ , Cantilupe (18)   
District 11- Agriculture: ~~Bird~~ ~~(18)~~ , Archer (16)   
District 12- Mining: Sinnett (15), Luckett (16)


	16. Chapter 16

_Henry. Henry, let me out._ Hyde hissed.

Henry sighed. He was up to his waist in a freezing cold stream while Robert washed blood and other things out of the cuts on his side. Couldn't Edward tell he was a little preoccupied?

 _As soon as you can. Didn't you hear the fight? Someone is hurt and I intend to take advantage of it._ Hyde replied, suddenly appearing in Jekyll’s reflection in the running water.

“Because taking advantage of something didn't go terribly wrong last time.” Henry muttered.

 _Oh, shut up, asshole._ Hyde spat. _You said the arena was my call. I made a call, now you listen to it._

“Fine.” Henry agreed with a sigh. “Ow!”

“Sorry.” Robert murmured. “I thought I saw something in that cut.”

“Well, I'm pretty sure it's not there anymore.” Henry assured him.

“Anyways, you can get out of the stream now. Not sure how you'll dry off before getting your clothes back on, but you can get out.” Robert told him. “Just put the pants back on though I still want to rebandage those cuts.”

 _That will be a waste of effort._ Hyde remarked. _He won't tie it tight enough to stay on me._

He was right, of course. Hyde was smaller and slimmer than Jekyll. The makeshift bandages would fall off. “I can't convince him not to do it, though.”

_I suppose._

“Well? Are you going to get out? I fear you may end up with hypothermia if you don't.” Robert remarked.

“Oh, right. Sorry. I got distracted.” Henry climbed out of the stream, sighed and just resigned to the fact that his clothes were going to wind up wet. He had no way to dry off.

So he pulled his clothes back on and sat down beside Robert. “Well, patch me up, doctor!” He said cheerfully. Then shivered.

Robert gave him a hug disguised as trying to warm him up. “I'm sorry.”

“It's not your fault the stream was so cold.” Henry assured him. “Robert, we’re going to make-"

“Shhhh… you're freezing. You need to regain some body heat.” Robert said loudly, pulled Henry’s coat over his pale shoulders. “We finally have an excuse, don't ruin it.” His whispered. His breath was warm against Henry’s ear.

Henry nodded and held on a bit tighter.  

Rachel walked up and sighed. “You should do that after you've patched the wound. So that we can move if we have to.” She decided. “Then you can worry about… warning him up.”

Robert nodded and slowly let go of Henry. Henry was loathe to lose the warmth and comfort of the embrace, but knew that Rachel was right. He needed to get ready to go before he snuggled with Robert for “warmth”.

So he sat quietly while Robert bound up the cuts in his side and pulled his brown coat  back over his shoulders. “Good. Now hold me and warm up, Henry.” Robert said softly.Henry did not require any convincing on the matter.

 _Henry. Every second you waste here is a higher chance I don't catch that person with an advantage._ Hyde hissed. _Hurry up! You can cuddle with Robert Lanyon tonight no one will blame you then either._

Henry sighed. “I'm going… I'm going to go and check the traps.”

“I should go with you.” Robert said immediately.

“No, I'll be okay… I need some time to think, Robert.”

“Did you want to go for a walk?”

Of course. Most of what he needed time to think about he did with Robert. “By myself.”

He made himself ignore the hurt look in Robert’s eyes. “A-alright…” Robert agreed. Hugged him tightly for one more moment. “Be careful.”

“I will.” Henry promised. “I'll be back before you know I'm gone.”

Robert let go and Henry got to his feet. Walked into the woods. There was something in his trap but he ignored it.

Made sure he was very, very far away from Robert and Rachel. There could be no chance of them overhearing what happened. “Alright, Edward, you're up.” He muttered. Stopped and laid down on the underbrush, staring up through the pine boughs and into the bright blue sky.

It was very peaceful. Peaceful until he felt a cramp seize his stomach and he gasped, curling in on himself, a sickening, aching feeling coiling through his body. He felt bones snap and crack and pop into knew places, writhed on the ground. A bitter taste entered his mouth and soon enough he was choking up green fluid and then, blissfully, mercifully, it wasn't him writhing on the ground.

 

“Mister Crane!” A young woman called from across the room. “Mister Crane I found the twenty-fifth tribute!” She shouted.

“Did it air?” Seneca demanded, rushing to her side. On the screen before her, lying on the ground and gasping, was the little blond tribute that had killed part of District 10. There were smudges of something green smeared across his face.

“No, I pulled it to watch before I sent it live to the districts. They were watching some tributes from District 12 squabble amongst each other.” She assured him. “You should see this.”

“Show me.” Seneca ordered.

The woman reached out and dragged her finger across the screen. All of the sudden, Seneca could see the tribute who wasn't the mayor’s son from District 1, lying on his back in exactly the same spot the mystery tribute was in. “Did he kill another tribute?”

“Mister Crane, life is about to get much weirder than a mystery tribute killing someone from District 1.” The woman warned. Tapped her finger on the screen and it began to play.

“Alright, Edward, you're up.” The tribute murmured. Stared up at the sky, which thankfully was wear the camera was. That was a nice effect.

“What are you showing me?”

“Watch.”

Suddenly, the boy on the ground gasped and curled into a ball, arms pressed against his stomach. Seneca heard something begin to crack. “What in God’s name…”

More cracking. The boy was writhing on the ground now, crawling at the ground. He choked up something green. Seneca noticed the same substance gathering in his eyes and nose.

It wasn't until he saw that the tribute was genuinely getting shorter, hair bellowing out and going blond, that Seneca Crane realized what was happening. “He's both of them. The tribute from District 1 _is_ the mystery tribute.”

And they were back to the scene on the screen, with the blond tribute gasping on the ground. “Don't air that.” Seneca decided. “But let them see what he does. I get the feeling he's here for a reason.”

“Yes sir.”

 

Hyde lay on the ground, ferns and brambles pressed into his back and rising up around him, gasping for air. He wiped his face off, coughed. “Ugh.” He groaned. Refastened Henry’s belt to fit him properly, through the rags Robert had bound Henry’s wounds with in his bag. “Here we go.”

_Be careful._

“I will, I will…” He pulled the knife out of his backpack.

Paused and listened for footsteps.

_How will you even know you're going after the injured person?_

“I won't.” Hyde admitted, flicking a bit of crusted blood off the blade of the knife.

_Did you learn nothing from Jasper?_

“No.” Hyde agreed. “Now shut up. I hear something.”

Henry huffed but obeyed. Edward smiled and closed his eyes.

He could hear footsteps behind him. Far off though. He opened his eyes again and climbed up into a pine tree.

_Make this quick. Robert is waiting for me and I still have to empty and reset the traps._

“Oh, quit complaining. I'll handle this at my own pace, you can deal with it.” Hyde decided, jumping over to the next tree.

_Then you come up with what I tell Robert._

“I don't give a rat’s ass what you tell Robert. Tell him you got abducted by purple aliens, he will probably believe you.” Hyde scoffed. Jumped into the next tree. His foot slipped out from under him, boot threatened to fall off. “Goddamn you and your massive feet.” He muttered, yanked the boot back onto his foot. Scrambled to the other side of the tree and jumped into the next one.

Glanced down at the ground and smiled. He could see footprints. He was getting closer. It was time to stop jumping and start sneaking, which was in fact easier said than done. He crept out onto the very edge of the next branch and stepped onto the next tree.

Glanced down again.

There was no one below him, but about twenty feet ahead he could see a very tall, almost regal looking woman with steel gray hair.

He grinned. Maneuvered his way into the next tree, and over into the next one.

Then turned back to the trunk and climbed back up a little higher, until he was about ten feet above the woman. Got into the next tree, and now he was basically right above her.

He put the hilt of his knife between his teeth and leapt off his branch and straight into her. She shrieked as he bowled her over, locked his arms around her, rolled once to use the momentum of his fall and ended up perched above her. She had a whip, he yanked it from her hand and shoved it in his bag.

And now came the fun part. She struggled to get out from under from him for a few moments, but to no avail.

“Do it then! Hurry up, do it quick!”

Hyde pulled the knife out of his mouth. “Now where, my dear, is the fun in that?”

_Hyde…_

“I promised you one merciful kill. Not all of them!” Hyde said brightly. “Now, where should we start…”

He looked down. “Why not follow a trend?” He shoved the knife in at her collarbone and dragged it down all the way to her navel.

 _Do not get all covered in blood, again!_ Henry hissed.

Hyde shrugged his shoulders. “Thought you wanted me being careful.” He remarked.

“Why won't you-" the woman coughed up blood.

“It's more fun to watch you suffer.” Hyde climbed off of her, she wasn't going anywhere anyways.

Contemplated the knife in his hand, covered in blood.

Licked the blade. The blood tasted like iron and salt.

 _What the fuck is wrong with you?_ Jekyll demanded, gagging. Hyde swallowed.

Shrugged his shoulders again. “Not sure.” He admitted. “Doesn't taste half bad.” He looked down at the woman still coughing up blood. “I'm sure she would agree with me if she could.”

 _I'm not sure you've read her expression right. Can you just kill her and get this over with?_ Henry asked. _You're starting to worry me. You were quick with Jasper._

“Actually, I did the same thing to Jasper as I did to her. It was just more effective against Jasper.” Hyde remarked.

“Who are you talking to?” The woman asked. “Oh, shut up and finish dying.” Hyde told her. “Mind your business.”

_Hyde, just finish her off so we can get back to the group._

“Spoilsport.” Hyde muttered, rolling his eyes. “I only get to do this until we get out of the arena, and here you go taking the fun out of it.”

_This shouldn't be fun! You're killing people!_

“And it's what I was made to do!” Hyde reasoned. Walked over to the woman and in one quick motion drove the knife through her heart, and yanked it back out. She gasped, choked again, and fell still.

And cannon went off. “Can I at least keep the whip?”

_No. Too conspicuous._

“You ruin _everything.”_ Hyde complained. “Fine. I'm going to wreck it so no one else can then.” He decided.

_And then get back to camp!_

“Yes yes, bossy pants, then back to camp.” Hyde agreed, grabbing his knife and cutting the leather strap off the handle. “Do you want to keep this piece for a trap?”

_No. Still too conspicuous._

“Fine.” Hyde cut up the leather piece and threw it on the ground. “I guess it's your turn again.”

_Thank God for that._

“If you want to complain about how I kill people, you're welcome to kill them yourself.” Hyde offered, sneering at his shadow.

_No, we can't do that!_

“Then what do you say for criticizing my methods, Jekie?” Hyde asked.

_Sorry._

“Damn right.”

 _Now switch back!_ Jekyll ordered.

“Yeah, yeah.” Hyde agreed, rolling his eyes and lying on the ground. “Hurry up.”

There was silence for a couple of minutes. “Jekyll?”

_Shhhh!_

Hyde fell silent for a few more minutes. “Jekyll, we can't stay on the ground forever.”

_I know! Can't you make it any easier?_

“I'm literally holding as little control as I possibly can.” Hyde replied.

Jekyll growled, and after a few more moments of struggling, Hyde felt a twist in his stomach and he choked and coughed and twisted, head tipped back in a silent scream as his spine arched and stretched and bones shifted and grew.

And finally, he was gasping for air, but back inside the shadows with the pain fading to a distant memory. _I'm going to get some rest. You know how to get me if you need me._

“That I do.”

And with that, Edward let himself slip down into the depths of their shared mind, and disappeared.

 

Henry carried the bird that had been caught in his trap back into the camp. Put it on the ground and went and sat beside Robert. “I'm sorry it took so long. The thing was more lively that it looked and nearly got away from me.” He explained softly.

Robert sighed. “I wasn't worried… until the canon went off.” He admitted. “What happened to the bandages."

“They came undone while I was chasing after the stupid bird.” Henry explained.

“You're such a mess, Henry.” Robert laughed.

“Thank God I have you to look after me.” Henry agreed, smiling and fishing the torn shirt they had been using to cover the wound out of his bag.

“You're back.” Rachel said quietly.

“Yes, I brought food. Well, it's not clean yet but it will be food.” Henry conceded.

Wordlessly, Rachel grabbed her knife and the bird and began to clean it.

“Did something happen while I was away?” Henry asked, lifting his arms and Robert re-tied the bandages around his chest.

There was some extra blood on Jekyll’s coat. Robert didn't say anything even though it left a red smear on the back of hand. “I think Jasper’s death is bothering her more than she's letting on.” Robert predicted. “Did you cause that canon?” He asked. Glanced down at his hand.

“No.” Henry lied. Well, in a way it was no lie. He was not the cause of the canon. Hyde was.

Robert nodded and said nothing about the blood, simply wiped it off his hand. “You're all patched up now.” He declared. “Lucky chasing the bird didn't open up the wound again.”

Robert and Rachel were both giving him funny looks now. “Yes.” Henry agreed. “Very lucky.”

 

District 1- Luxury: Jekyll (17), Lanyon (18)  
 ~~District 2- Masonry: Mosley (14), Doddle (15)~~  
District 3- Technology: Pennebrygg (16), ~~Flowers (15)~~   
District 4- Fishing: Helsby (17), ~~Maijabi (18)~~  
District 5- Power: ~~Tweedy~~ ~~(15)~~ , Ito (16)   
District 6- Transport: ~~Bryson~~ ~~(17)~~ , Griffin (17)   
District 7- Lumber: Morcant (18), Moreau (18)   
District 8- Textiles: Frankie (18), Creature (14)   
District 9- Grain: ~~Jasper (14)~~ , Rachel (15)   
~~District 10- Livestock: Lavender (14), Cantilupe (18)~~   
District 11- Agriculture: ~~Bird~~ ~~(18)~~ , Archer (16)   
District 12- Mining: Sinnett (15), Luckett (16)


	17. Chapter 17

_Snap!_ An arrow whizzed through the air and caught it's target right in the chest. The target went down heavily, and a few minutes later, a cannon sounded.

Archer whooped. “You did it, Jack!” He cried. “Even with a cyber eye he could not see that coming!”

“Shh!” Griffin scolded. “I get that you are excited, but you are going to call the whole arena over here!”

Archer stuck his tongue out. “And you'll hit them with another arrow.  We’ll be fine!” He insisted.

“If you get cocky, Chris, we are going to end up dead.” Griffin warned. Handed him the bow and arrows. “You should practice with that too, Chris. I can’t be the only one defending us.”

“You’re actually good at it, though. I’m terrible.” Archer complained. “Who would have thought it would be so hard to figure out how to use one of these?” He asked.

“Anyone but you, apparently.” Griffin said with a soft smile. “I could tell pretty easily that it would not be as easy as you seemed to think it would end up being. People train forever on these things!” He continued. “That was entirely luck. Tell you what, after we go check him for any goods, I’ll show you how to shoot this thing decently.”

Archer smiled. “That would be great.”

Griffin nodded, biting his lip and walking over to the man he had just shot and killed. “He doesn’t look like he has anything.”

Archer nudged the body with his foot. “Well, if he’s got nothing good, may as well just let the hovercraft take him and move on. You can show me how to shoot a bow and arrow.” The brunet decided. “No sense in wasting our time here.”

Griffin nodded. “Come on, then, I’ll show you how to shoot this thing properly.” He agreed, smiling.

He did not know why he was so excited to help Archer learn to shoot a bow. He should not have been getting this close to the boy from District 11. They were going to have to kill each other within a couple of days, anyways.

But he liked Christopher Archer. A lot more than he should have. He was funny and friendly and easy to teach. Griffin walked him over to a clearing with a tree at the end, grabbed an arrow, took aim and shot.

It sunk into the tree.

“Now you try.” He handed the bow and quiver to Archer.

Unlike the first day, he did not worry about getting an arrow in the back the moment he did so. “Now pull the bow back.”

Archer complied, and Griffin walked up behind him and corrected his stance, adjusted how he was holding the bow. “There. Now try.”

The arrow whizzed just slightly passed the tree. Griffin gave him another one.

Archer pulled it back and fired again.

This time, it clipped the tree. “You're getting better, I'll give you that.” Griffin decided.

Archer smiled, looking down at the ground. “Thank you.”

He tried again and managed to hit the tree. Griffin grinned.

 

\---

 

Rachel really wished she could trust Henry Jekyll.

She had been up most of the night because she could not trust him and had forced herself to stay awake during his watches as well as hers.  

But she could not shake the feeling that Henry Jekyll had something to do with the blond tribute that had killed Jasper. And someday soon, she _would_ get the answers out of him.

But for now, she had to play it mostly cool. Robert would notice if she started being suspicious.

Henry was out checking the traps again. It was a little suspicious that last time he had done that, he had ‘gotten into a fight with the bird’ and someone had died while he was out.

Earlier than that, he had followed Jasper when the other wolf separated them, and Jasper was dead now. Not to mention the claw marks in Henry’s side that Rachel was pretty sure hadn't been put there by Morcant.

It wasn't looking good for Henry not being involved somehow.

“Say, Robert?” Rachel said in her best innocent tone. She didn't want Robert to know that she was suspicious of Henry.

“Yes Rachel?” Robert asked, looking up from where he was staring into the stream.

“Has Henry…” she trailed off. “Has Henry seemed strange to you lately?” She asked.

“Strange?” Robert repeated, furrowing his brow. “No stranger than anyone else in this arena.” He decided. “These are the Hunger Games, it would be normal for him not to be acting like himself.”

Rachel supposed he had a point.

“I think he feels guilty for Jasper’s death.” Robert continued.

“Pardon?” Rachel looked up at him curiously. Why would Henry feel guilty about Jasper dying… unless he had something to do with it.

“Yeah, since he had been following Jasper for a while. He has no reason to feel guilty, of course, he stopped because the other werewolf caught up to him and nearly killed him, but he does.” Robert explained. “He had the knife in his bag, and Jasper had nothing.”

“Jasper was a werewolf. If he couldn't stop the tribute that killed him, no one could have.” Rachel said. Might as well let Robert think his boyfriend was a great guy, even if she was pretty sure he was a murderer.

Not that it was fair to call anyone in these games a murderer, but Henry had possibly betrayed their alliance, and on the first day, too! What sort of person did something like that? Sure, they were going to have to turn on each other someday, Rachel already had a plan to take both boys from District 1 out, but it wasn't supposed to happen yet!

Did Henry intend on picking them off one by one? Should she warn Robert?

“When you asked me if Henry was acting strangely, why did you want to know? You don't think he had anything to do with Jasper dying, do you?” Robert asked.

“I was just wondering. Why do you ask?”

“He had blood on him when he got back today, and I don't think he got it from a bird.” Robert remarked. “He told me he didn't cause the cannon from earlier, but I think he might have. I don't, however, think he hurt Jasper.”

“You think he would have lied to you?”

Robert nodded. “If he's already killed someone, it's understandable that he doesn't want us to know he's already gone down that path. He's a very sensitive man, he is probably scared of what we would say if we knew he had killed someone.”

“But you don't think he killed Jasper?” Rachel asked.

“He wouldn't do that. He liked Jasper a lot. And you.” Robert assured her. “He wouldn't have hurt Jasper. I'll pull him aside and ask him when he gets back, see if he’ll be honest with me. Hopefully he won't have gotten himself hurt again.”

Rachel nodded.

Truly, Robert had not reassured her much. Sure, he was confident that Henry had not hurt Jasper. But that didn't mean he knew Henry hadn't led Jasper to the blond tribute.

She was still pretty sure he was behind Jasper’s death in some way. And somehow she was going to prove it.

 

\---

 

Henry came back empty handed. Robert looked up at him as he walked back to their camp. “Henry, can you and I talk?” He asked, getting to his feet.

Henry’s red eyes widened. “Is something wrong?” He asked, puzzled. “I didn't do anything wrong, did I?”

“No no, nothing wrong, I just want to talk to you.” Robert assured him, walking up beside him.

Henry nodded and waited expectantly, staring at Robert with wide red eyes.

“Not here, Henry. Come for a walk with me.” He encouraged.

Henry nodded. There was dried blood on his brown coat.

Robert led him off deeper into the pine trees. “You can relax, I just want to talk.” He promised. “You are worrying me.”

“Why am I worrying you?” Henry asked, seeming concerned. “What have I done?”

“Henry, you came back covered in blood after a cannon went off, of course I am late. That was not from the bird. You know you do not have to lie to us, especially not me.” Robert told him.

“Robert, I swear to you, I did not kill the person the cannon was for.” Henry promised. “I haven't killed anyone.”

“Then how are you covered in blood?” Robert asked. “Some of it makes sense, you were attacked by a werewolf, but why was it fresh yesterday?” He asked. “Henry, you have been hiding something from me since we got here. You do not have to hide from me!” He insisted.

“I got into a fight. With the woman who died. But I didn't kill her.” Henry conceded. “I didn't want to worry you so I didn't tell you. You have been worried enough since I got attacked by the werewolf.”

“Henry, I would rather you tell me and I worry a bit about you than I do not know what happened to you but I know something is wrong!” Robert cried. “You came back covered in blood with your bandages pulled off Henry I was worried about you!”

“I know. I am sorry, Robert.” Henry said quietly. “I did not mean to scare you. Can we… can we go back to camp now, I would like something to eat.”

Robert nodded, and sighed. “Please don't lie to me again, Henry. You scared me.”

“I won't.”

Henry didn't meet his eyes, and Robert realized with a start that he had already broken that promise.

 

\---

 

Henry got up off the ground, quietly and sneakily kissed Robert’s cheek and walked into the woods.

He needed to talk. But not to Robert, not to Rachel.

He needed to talk to Edward.

The events of the day previous were stuck in his head, Hyde trying to leave the moment to suffer rather than finishing her off, licking the knife, telling Henry he would give one merciful kill and it was not the woman’s.

And that Robert knew he was lying. That Robert probably knew that Jekyll was behind Jasper Kaylock and Eleanora Cantilupe’s murders.

He had not expected anyone to catch on so quickly. It was terrifying to be so close to being caught. He had expected to get away with this for a long time before anyone got suspicious.

And here Robert already thought something was wrong.

 _Well, you have dragged us into the cold, what the hell do you want?_ A haze of greenish smoke appeared in front of Jekyll, swirling and solidifying and darkening until a young man with blond hair and green eyes stood before him. There was still blood splattered on his cheeks, down the green waistcoat he had put himself back in.

“I want to talk to you, Edward.” Henry replied, smiling at the blond. “No need to be this nervous, Edward. But there have been some problems and-”

 _And you are telling me I should be nervous, because you have decided I have a problem with you._ Edward realized, raising an eyebrow. _What is your problem?_ He asked.

“Edward, I think you know exactly what the problem is.” Henry predicted, crossing his arms and staring at the illusion.

Hyde’s face soured, his green eyes narrowed. _You are upset about that woman from earlier. Forget her, Henry, I was only having a little fun._

“That is fun?” Henry demanded. “You call that fun, Edward? You tried to leave her to suffer and you were enjoying it! Not to mention you fucking licked the knife.”

Edward giggled. _Yes, yes I did. Maybe I will make that my thing, to lick the knife. Give Capitol a way to remember me._ He paused. _Why do you care, Henry? I was only playing a little. You made me to do this, if I don't enjoy it a little something is wrong with me._ He reasoned.

“Edward, you cut a woman open and enjoyed it. I should be worried about you.” Henry countered, tapping his foot on the ground. “Do you somehow not realize how fucked up that is?”

 _If I am not enjoying this, I am failing my purpose. Henry, it is exhilarating! To have that much power at your fingertips, to get to watch them, to know you did it… call me crazy but you designed me to be this way. Murder is the only thing I was built to do._ Edward pointed out, swirling around Henry, fingers trailing along the brunet’s shoulders. _What is a bit of sufferance for them, they are dying anyways. I am just enjoying it happen. If I didn't I wouldn't be killing people and we wouldn't stand a chance. I am doing us a favour._

“Edward, don't you see that this is wrong? You shouldn't be enjoying this at all!” Henry told him, shoving the smoky illusion away from him, only for it to dissipate into smoke and reappear all around him, cutting him off from the real world.

 _This is_ not _wrong. Not for me. You_ made _me to do this now live with the consequences and let me do what I am meant to!_ Edward cried. _I will not be saddled by what you believe I should be doing, I will not! You will let me do my part of this job, it is the only chance I will get to fulfill my real purpose in life._ He decided. _This is my time to shine, so find a valid complaint or shut up. I will do things how I want to do them, and you will thank me, since Robert is still breathing and you haven't had to get your hands dirty._

“Speaking of Robert.” Henry said quickly. Edward groaned.

_Do not talk to me about Robert, I have heard enough about Robert to last a lifetime. I get that you love him but I don't care for him and want to be left alone about him. He is alive, that is the only promise I made you about him._

“He is suspicious of us, Edward.” Henry pointed out. “He thinks I hurt Jasper and Cantilupe.”

 _Technically speaking, you did hurt Jasper and Cantilupe._ Edward said, taking a solid form again and shrugging his shoulder. _So keep lying to him, I guess, because he definitely cannot know that he is right._

“Edward, you need to be more careful. Robert can't be onto us already and if he is suspicious, I guarantee he is not the only one.” Henry said.

 _Listen, Jekie. The only other one close enough to notice is Romeo, and I told you. I have plans for her._ Edward said simply. _You just relax, get back to bed and keep lying through that pretty smile of yours. Right now, it is all you are good at._

Henry couldn't even convince himself that Edward was wrong. He turned around and headed back to camp, curled up beside Robert, and fell asleep.

 

 

District 1- Luxury: Jekyll (17), Lanyon (18)  
 ~~District 2- Masonry: Mosley (14), Doddle (15)~~  
 ~~District 3- Technology: Pennebrygg (16), Flowers (15)~~  
District 4- Fishing: Helsby (17), ~~Maijabi (18)~~  
District 5- Power: ~~Tweedy~~ ~~(15)~~ , Ito (16)   
District 6- Transport: ~~Bryson~~ ~~(17)~~ , Griffin (17)   
District 7- Lumber: Morcant (18), Moreau (18)   
District 8- Textiles: Frankie (18), Creature (14)   
District 9- Grain: ~~Jasper (14)~~ , Rachel (15)   
~~District 10- Livestock: Lavender (14), Cantilupe (18)~~   
District 11- Agriculture: ~~Bird~~ ~~(18)~~ , Archer (16)   
District 12- Mining: Sinnett (15), Luckett (16)


	18. Chapter 18

“What are you doing here?” Moreau demanded. Morcant rolled her eyes. 

“Grabbing an apple. Unless I am expected to patrol the woods and not eat anything, Alphonse.” She explained. 

Moreau did not look like he could argue with that. “You have not done very well guarding those woods recently.” He remarked. 

“They may have gotten away, but they did not manage to that anything.” Morcant hadn't told him about the other thief. The tribute from District 11 who had managed to get all the way to the cornucopia and steal something while Moreau and herself were distracted by the screaming guy. She was pretty sure he had been the ghost guy from District 6. The one who practically glowed in the dark because of how pale he was. 

She did not want to die. Morcant knew her survival depended on her defending the cornucopia for Moreau.

Until such a time that she managed to sink an arrow in his head. Then she would be able to do as she pleased. 

But for now, she had to convince Moreau she was on his side, and keep the woods safe for him. 

Either that or die a horrible painful death. “Well, I'm going back out there. Thanks for the food.” 

Moreau nodded. The werewolf walked back into the woods. 

She needed to find that kid from District 1. The one she had been chasing. She could smell something off, something dangerous about him, she was surprised the other werewolf had been stupid enough to ally with him, given the smell. 

The other wolf was dead now. And the kid was hurt. She had to find him and take advantage of it. 

Morcant glanced back at Moreau, and snuck off deeper into the woods. 

 

\---

 

“Victoria.” Creature said the moment she sat up. “You should continue resting, you were terribly ill last night.” 

Frankenstein snorted and shook her head. “Creature, these are the Hunger Games. Do you think I have time to sleep off an illness?” She scoffed. “Help me pack our supplies. We need to keep moving. Until today Moreau has stayed near the cornucopia, but he will come after me when he decides it is time to act, and I do not want to be stuck here waiting for him, ready to surrender all our supplies if we have to flee.” 

Creature sighed. “Victoria, you are only going to get worse the more stubborn that you are. You need rest. I will pack up the camp, you lie down and rest. I do not want you getting any worse.” 

Victoria huffed, but laid back down. There was no sense arguing with Creature, when he got something in his head he refused to drop it. If he had decided it was too dangerous for Victoria to pack, he would not let her. 

She felt fine. The stings were still a little sore, but illness wise she felt fine. No sign of what had had her choking up blood all of the first part of last night. Of what had Creature so damnably worried about her.

She was handed a piece of bird. Something Creature had caught last night. “We should save this.”

“You need to regain strength. Eat it.” Creature instructed. “I am going to go and see if I cannot catch another. Camp is packed, your sword is there, call me if anyone shows up.” 

Victoria huffed. “Fine. But I really can handle myself you know.” She told him. 

“I know. That is why I am leaving you here on your own.” Creature walked off into the woods. 

Frankenstein supposed she could not argue with that. She took a bite of the bird and settled in to wait for him to return. 

After just a few bites, the coughing seized her. By the time Creature returned, she was hunched over, wheezing, a puddle of blood beside her. 

 

\---

 

“Jonathon?” Sinnett called. “Jonathon, where did you go? Did you find something to eat?” 

His stomach was cramping painfully. He had not eaten in days. The pine sap had killed off any bushes that would have yielded berries to eat, and Sinnett was no good at recognizing what sorts of fungi could be eaten. He was almost hungry enough to risk it. Almost. 

“Nothing, Anthony.” Luckett admitted. “It is hard to catch something to eat without a weapon.” He confessed.

“I can imagine. There is nothing growing on the ground that we can eat, the pines have killed it all.” Sinnett explained. “We… we are going to die in here, aren't we.” He murmured. “And my poor mother will have no one to look after her… She… she won't survive on her own… and your brothers and sisters…” 

“We can't give up, Anthony…” Luckett said. “If we give up then we will surely die. And I don't know about you, but I refuse to give up on getting home to my brothers and sisters. They need me. And your mother needs you.” 

“We are going to starve to death, Jonathon!” Sinnett cried. “We have nothing to eat and the only way we will not starve is if I pick the wrong damn mushroom off the ground and we poison ourselves!” He said. 

“Are you saying we just give up?” Luckett asked. “Just lay down and die and give up hope of ever getting back to District 12?” 

“We both can't get back anyways. Only one of us.” Sinnett said softly. “One of our families…” 

“Well, I will make you a deal if you make the same one, and stop trying to quit on me.” Luckett said. “If I make it out of here, I will look after your mother. I promise. So long as you swear that if you are the one that lives, you will take care of my siblings.” 

Sinnett plainly still did not believe that either of them would survive this hellish game, but he sighed and shook Luckett’s hand anyways. “Deal.” 

“Now, I am going to go continue to look for-" Luckett stopped as a package fell to the ground, attached to a silver parachute. “Is that for us?” 

“District 12 never gets sponsors…” Sinnett breathed, but he tore it open anyways, and found a loaf of bread. 

 

\---

 

“So what else do you need here?” Moreau asked pointedly. “You've been digging for hours, I've been making sure no one kills you, but I'm getting impatient.” 

Virginia sighed. “I have to be careful here, Moreau. I can't just dig these up. I can't lose any pieces, not if I want to be able to set them up properly.” She replied. “You want land mines set up, right?” 

“Yes.”

“Then I need you to let me do this.” Ito said. “It is not simple work, it takes time.” 

Moreau huffed. “Well, hurry up. I have other things to do.” 

Ito wanted to snap at him to shut up and let her work, but he did have a fucking mace in his hands and while she was able to get food from the cornucopia, she had not managed to get a weapon yet. Someday she would sneak one. Not yet. 

So right now, he had the power. She had to respect him, even if she hated every moment of it. 

This was helping her too. So long as she was helping him, Moreau would watch her back. He had been happy with Mosley’s death. Very happy. Enough to agree to protect her so long as she was making more land mines. 

“Ha.” She brushed the dirt away from the piece she had been searching for, and carefully began to excavate it from the ground. “There. That is what I needed, I will go start setting this up. I take it you want to come with so that you know where it is?”

“Of course.” 

 

\---

 

“You know, for that big lecture I got from you last night I wasn't expecting you to agree to this plan.” Hyde remarked. 

_ I did promise you that you were in charge in the arena.  _ Jekyll said.  _ Refusing to let you out, even if I think letting you out is going to get us discovered, or killed, would not be letting you be in charge. _

“I am not going to do either of those things.” Hyde said irritably. “What I am going to do is make us win.”

_ I still have not decided if I want us to win. _

“Is this about Robert, again?” 

_...yes. _

“I am not listening to this.” Edward jumped into the next tree. “I have told you what to do with Robert, you don't want to listen to me, so I will let it handle itself. I won't have to touch him unless he somehow lives till the end.” 

_ Why are you such a prick. _

Hyde only smiled. “Aha. There's someone.” He realized, spotting a boy with dark hair standing on the ground. “How about… no, same as last time will be boring.” He paused and dug the knife out of his pocket. “Maybe I'll get into a real fight. Let him see me.” 

_ That sounds cocky and foolish.  _ Henry said. 

“Did I ask your opinion?” Hyde asked, jumping down onto the ground. 

_ No. _

“Good. So shut up.” Hyde told him. “I'm going to do things my way.” 

_ Just leave the blood out of our mouth this time. You're going to get a disease.  _

“Just for that, I'm going to make sure to lick my knife when I'm done.” Hyde warned. “You should have just kept your mouth shut.” 

_ I should have.  _ Jekyll agreed.  _ If you give us a disease…  _

“What will you do.” 

_ I don't know.  _

“Ha.” Hyde walked off towards the tribute on the ground. 

“Hey! You stay back!” The tribute yelled. 

“Yeah, what is the fun in that.” Hyde snickered. The tribute backed away. Hyde moved just a touch faster. Gaining on him. 

“Leave me be! Griffin!” As the tribute was distracted, Hyde jabbed the knife at him. He barely saw it in time and moved his arm in the way, so that he got a cut on his forearm rather than a jab in the chest. 

“You are really quite boring.” Hyde complained. Slashed again, the tribute jumped back. “I wanted a fight, here you're just being annoying.” 

“I'm not sorry. Griffin!” The tribute shouted again.

“What are you, this guy’s damsel in distress? Fight!” Hyde encouraged. 

_ Hyde, just kill him.  _

“Come on and fight!” Hyde said again. Jabbed the knife and this time at least got his hand slapped away and a fist thrown at his face. He ducked it, but grinned. “There you go! For a second I thought you wanted to die!” 

Hyde was about to try again when his arm, thank God it was not his dominant arm, sprouted an arrow sticking out of it. He hissed in pain, jumping backwards. Forced himself to look away. The blood would make him freeze and he could not freeze. 

_ Hyde just leave they have a long range weapon! You'll never kill them both before he hits something vital!  _

Hyde was about to argue when another arrow sailed passed his head. He jabbed the knife towards the first tribute again, turned on his heel and fled back into the trees. 

_ Do not look at that. Don't you dare look at that until we’re somewhere safe.  _ Jekyll hissed. Hyde nodded, continued racing through trees. Another arrow whizzed by him and sunk into the tree.  _ I told you it was stupid! I told you it was cocky and foolish and you still did it!  _

“Shut up!” Hyde snapped. Couldn't help but glance down. 

There was blood running down his hand.  _ Hyde!  _

The blond looked away. “I'm fine!” He was breathing funny. 

_ What is it with you and blood?  _ Jekyll demanded. 

“It's not supposed to be running down my arm!” Hyde squeaked. “It's supposed to stay inside of me!”

_ Maybe if you quit doing reckless things and getting hurt, it will!  _ Jekyll said.  _ Get down from here you're hyperventilating. I'll take over and handle this.  _

Hyde practically fell out of the tree.

  
  


\---

 

“We did it! Who the hell was that, anyways?” Archer asked, frowning and watching the rapidly retreating shape dart from tree to tree. Griffin shot another arrow after him, but it sunk into the tree trunk beside the blond. 

“We haven't done anything. He's still alive.” Griffin sounded on edge and strange. Something seemed to be wrong. Maybe it was just the stress of the fight. 

“He was bleeding, though, that's something!” Archer insisted, still watching him run. “At least we know we can drive him off! Maybe we really  _ can  _ win this!” 

It was a stupid thing to say.  _ They  _ could not win this. One of them could, the other would die in the arena. With twenty-two other kids. Was it really winning if you had to kill? If twenty-three people had to die? 

Griffin still looked strange. He had another arrow in his hands. 

“You won't be able to shoot him from here, Jack, but I guess if you want we could chase after him.” Archer suggested. 

Jack shook his head. “No, no, we won't chase him, Christopher.” He decided. 

“Are you okay?” Jack had made no move to put the arrow away. 

“Yes… yes, just… tense.” Griffin assured him, taking a deep breath. “Just very very tense.” The strange look in his pale blue eyes was not gone. Archer bit his lip. 

“So. What next?” He asked. 

Griffin took another breath. “Did he hurt you? He was quick with that damn knife.” 

“No.” Archer assured him. That was a lie, but the cut on his arm wouldn't kill him and he did not want to sit and deal with it right then. “What about you?” 

“Nothing serious.” Griffin said. “He got the worst of it, with an arrow in the arm, I don't think he was expecting two of us.” 

“Are those things barbed?” Archer asked. 

“I wish. If he tries, he’ll be able to get it out.” Griffin replied. “Where I hit him, he’ll bleed and it’ll slow his arm down a bit, but he’ll survive just fine.” 

“Shame.” Archer said. “Well, I feel a little uneasy, maybe we should move on. Head off somewhere else for a bit.” 

Griffin nodded. “You lead, I'm still a little jumpy and won't be a good leader.” 

Archer nodded and walked off in a random direction, keeping his ears peeled for any noises. 

He had not made it far when something caught his attention. 

He heard the sound of something being pulled tight behind him, where Griffin was.

Archer spun around to see an arrow fly at his head, had only a few seconds to realize that the shooter was Griffin Griffin had betrayed him- 

The arrow hit with an explosion of pain in his skull and then nothing at all.

_ Boom!  _

A cannon echoed through the arena. 

Moments later, a second cannon fired and a pale shape hit the forest floor beside the boy he had shot just moments before. 

If they could not live together, at least they wouldn't live apart.

  
District 1- Luxury: Jekyll (17), Lanyon (18)   
~~ District 2- Masonry: Mosley (14), Doddle (15)   
District 3- Technology: Pennebrygg (16), Flowers (15) ~~   
District 4- Fishing: Helsby (17),  ~~ Maijabi (18) ~~   
District 5- Power:  ~~ Tweedy ~~ ~~(15)~~ , Ito (16)   
~~ District 6- Transport: Bryson (17), Griffin (17) ~~   
District 7- Lumber: Morcant (18), Moreau (18)   
District 8- Textiles: Frankie (18), Creature (14)   
District 9- Grain:  ~~Jasper (14)~~ , Rachel (15)   
~~~~ District 10- Livestock: Lavender (14), Cantilupe (18)   
District 11- Agriculture: Bird (18), Archer (16)   
District 12- Mining: Sinnett (15), Luckett (16)


	19. Chapter 19

“Adam!” Victoria cried, pulling  him backwards from where he was about to step on a section of overturned dirt. Adam stumbled, which was weird, Victoria should not have been able to affect him much.

“What is wrong?” Adam asked. “You used my real name, what is wrong?”

“Come back here.” Frankenstein led him back a good thirty feet from the strange spot on the ground. Picked up a heavy stone and threw it back at the spot. It took her a few tries, but she finally hit it.

_Boom!_

The ground erupted around the spot. “It has to be that girl from District 3.” Frankenstein muttered. “She was making traps like that in training.”

“So now even the ground is unsafe.” Creature realized. “How do we stand a chance if even the ground is unsafe.”

Frankenstein shook her head. “It will be safe again soon. We are going to find the little bitch, and stop her setting traps everywhere. We are near the cornucopia, and she has one hell of a skill. If I had to guess, she is working for Moreau.” She predicted. “So she will stay near the cornucopia.”

Creature nodded. “And how will we get near her without Moreau noticing?” He asked.

“Do you like the term distraction, or surprise attack.” Victoria asked.

“I'll be the distraction.” Creature decided.

“Excellent. You are going to get Moreau’s attention, he will believe I am with you. I am going to handle the little bitch with explosives.” Victoria said.

“Will you be alright?” Creature asked worriedly. “You are still ill, Victoria!”

“I know. But even ill I can take this girl out. She's far too techy, I'll bet she has no clue what to do with a real weapon.” Victoria scoffed, rolling her eyes.

“Do not count on that, Victoria.” Creature advised.

“Of course not.” Frankenstein agreed. “Now go and distract Moreau. I don't need him interfering with this.”

Creature nodded and walked off.

Now she just had to wait. Wait until she could spot the little bitch from District 3 that was setting the ground to explode beneath their feet, and wipe her off the face of the planet. No way was she going to deal with something like that happening. Moreau might have had the cornucopia, but Frankenstein was going to stay in control in this arena. That was hard to do with someone like the girl from District 3.

And there she was. Walking around the cornucopia, an apple in her hand.

Frankenstein grit her teeth. She couldn't just charge the girl. There was too high a chance that someone she didn't want spotting her spotted her. She had to plan this out.

She picked up a small stone, and threw it at a tree. It clunked against the bark.

“Moreau?” The girl called.

Received no answer. Good. Adam was doing his job.

The girl grabbed a knife from the cornucopia, and headed towards the noise.

Victoria almost snorted. A knife? She was going to have to be good if she intended to get to Victoria with a knife before she was missing a head of her height.

And just from the way she was holding it, she wasn't good. She was just a little tech girl. In a way, Frankenstein felt bad for her. It wasn't her fault she was here.

But she was interfering. And Frankenstein needed to get home. It was as simply as that it was nothing personal she just needed to go home and the only way to do that was to kill all the others.

The girl had made it to the tree now. “Who's there? Morcant? Moreau?” She called. “Where are you guys?”

Victoria cleared her throat. “Missy? Over here.” She said.

The girl turned around and Victoria swung her sword.

She barely got to scream. This was not the first time Frankenstein had done something like that.

She hit the ground and Frankenstein ran back for camp. She could hear footsteps behind her.

“Victoria! Run!” Creature shouted.

She didn't really need the reminder. She kept running, as fast as she could. She couldn't afford to get caught right now Adam was right there was too much chance of her illness cropping up again.

“Get her!” A rough, angry voice shouted behind her. “Morcant, get her!”

“She's running too fast, I can't get a shot!”

“Shoot anyways!”

An arrow sunk into a tree just behind Frankenstein. She forced herself to ignore it and kept running.

 _Wham!_ Something hit the ground behind her. “Victoria, it's me, just keep running!” Creature called. “Did you get the tech girl?”

“Damn right I did!” Frankenstein replied.

“Moreau?” The archer called.

No response. “I don't think he's dead, but he won't be following us.”

“Good.” Victoria said, gasping. “Can we… do you think we can stop?” She asked.

“Here, I'll get you back to camp.” Creature replied. Without further ado, lifted her up off the ground and kept running.

“Creature, you don't have to-"

“Shhh. We don't want anyone hearing us. This isn't hard, Victoria.” Creature assured her. “I can get us back to camp, not a problem.”

“I can't even escape on my own.” Frankenstein mumbled.

“Maybe not, but you managed the kill, that’s something.” Creature reasoned. Ran them back into their camp and sat her down. “There. Just relax. Eat something, I'll guard the camp.” Creature said.

“You didn't catch anything, and neither did I. There is no food to be had.” Frankenstein said.

“There is still some. I'm not hungry.” Creature said. Handed her the last of the bird he had caught. “Eat. I won't hear an argument, just eat.” He instructed.

Frankenstein sighed and followed his instructions. Creature would not take no for an answer and besides, she was hungry. And exhausted. “How are we going to survive this, Adam?” She asked disparagingly.

“One day at a time.” Adam replied. “Just… focus on who's waiting for you. Henry Clevral and… what was her name? The girl who tried to fight the peacekeepers to get to say goodbye to you again?”

“Elizabeth.”

“Just focus on getting home to Henry and Elizabeth.”

 

\---

 

“Henry, we've been walking all morning. What made you decide our camp wasn't safe in the first place?” Robert asked, walking up and placing a hand on Henry’s shoulder. “You certainly believed it was earlier, what happened?” He looked concerned.

But Henry couldn't answer him and get rid of that concern.

Because what had happened was that Edward Hyde had left a bloodtrail most of the way back to the camp. That Henry had refused to remove his coat and let Robert rebandaged his side, lest he notice the wound Henry had tied one of the rags around his arm to stop the blood. What had happened was Edward Hyde’s stupidity had forced Henry to lie to the man he loved yet again and it didn't matter that the two closest to the bloodtrail bad been pictured in the sky that night someone could still follow it.

So they had to leave.

And Henry had to make excuses. “We've been in one place too long. The werewolf who attacked me might decide to find us. We need to keep moving.”

“But the stream, Henry. What about the stream?” Rachel demanded. “You left it behind us! How are we supposed to get any water? Wasn't that priority one? You've bested that werewolf once, the three of us should be able to take her!” She stopped walking. Henry turned around to face her.

“And if she's formed alliances?” Henry asked.

“What makes you think you're important enough to be a priority target?” Rachel asked.

“We aren't. But there aren't that many people left anymore, so we are a target.” Henry reasoned. “So if we stay in one place we’ll end up dead.”

“Fine. But once we finish moving we're finding that damn stream that you made me give up finding Jasper’s killer for.” Rachel warned.

“That's fine.” Henry agreed. Turned back around and kept on walking.

“Henry, are you alright? Is your side bothering you? You’re acting funny.” Robert said gently. “I could take a look at it, if you'd like-"

“No!” A hurt look spread across Robert’s face and Henry regretted his outburst. “I'm sorry, Robert. I appreciate the offer but really, it’s fine. It's just… I mean, you shouldn't worry about me acting funny. It's the Hunger Games, I'm not going to act like all is well!”

“You've gotten hurt again.” Robert accused.

Glanced behind him at Rachel. “You’re going to tell me what's going on. Tonight. Once she's asleep. All of it.” He murmured.

“Fine. I'll tell you tonight. But we aren't stopping to look after wounds right now.” Henry agreed. He had no intention of telling Robert anything, but it would get the man off his back for a while. He would make up some lie about everything despite the fact that he had promised not to lie to Robert anymore.

He didn't want to chase Robert away. But Hyde had left him no choice. He wouldn't have Robert finding out about Hyde, no matter how much Hyde wasn't helping the case. He couldn't let Robert find out what he was. What he had become.

This was the game he had to play. And no one cared if he liked it.

It was actually funny, that Hyde didn't have anything to add. Jekyll knew he was paying attention, he always was, nowadays, but he didn't interject.

He didn't need to. If Jekyll was thinking like this, Hyde was already winning.

 

“Henry? We should stop. We've been walking all day and we’re back to the stream.” Robert murmured, walking up behind him. “We’re all exhausted, we need rest. And a bite to eat.”

“I don't have anything for us to eat.” Henry said, shifting the bag on his back. “I packed up the traps before we left. There was nothing in them.”

“Well, set them up again, we may as well try to catch something. We do have to eat.” Robert said.

“We don’t have any food?” Rachel asked. “And why did we spend the day wandering around aimlessly when we could have been hunting?” She demanded.

“Rachel, Henry was right. We needed to move. So we’ll be hungry for a little bit. We’ll survive.” Robert said gently. “We can’t stay in one place forever. It was good that we spent today travelling.”

“Ugh.” Rachel groaned. “I guess. I still think it was stupid, personally.”

 _Yeah, we get that, Romeo!_ Hyde spat in Henry’s ear. _God, just shut up and stop bitching!_

So something could get to Edward Hyde after all. Henry was tempted to encourage Rachel to keep talking just to annoy Hyde, .

 _You wouldn’t dare!_ Hyde gasped, suddenly materializing beside Henry. _It was your plan to make her and Robert and yourself walk halfway across the arena don’t you tell me that her bitching isn’t getting to you too!_

Hyde was right. Rachel’s complaints were all together unrequired. They were getting on Henry’s nerves, but he was letting her do what she needed. After all. In a roundabout way, Henry had killed Jasper. He would let Rachel snap and whine and complain all she needed.

He owed that to her. _You don’t owe her_ anything _these are the Hunger Games people die!_

“I- I need to go. Set up those traps.” Henry said quickly. “I… I’ll see you soon.”

“Henry-” Henry ignored Robert, and walked off into the woods.

He felt terrible for it, in hindsight, but right at that moment he needed to have a talk with someone whom he couldn't speak to around Robert Lanyon. Those were just the facts. He just had to isolate himself from his feelings about it and face the facts. There were things he had to do.

“Henry? You forgot your bag full of the stuff you used to make the traps!” Robert called, running after him.

“Oh. Thank you.” Henry said, took the bag and tried to keep walking but Robert grabbed his arm.

“Are you sure you're alright on your own, Henry?” He asked softly.

“Yes.” Henry promised. “I'll be fine. I'll be back soon.”

Robert sighed. “Alright.” He agreed. Let go and walked back to Rachel.

 _What did you want to yell at me about this time?_ Hyde asked.

“What do you mean, yell at you?” Henry asked, frowning. “Why would I yell at you?”

 _It's all you've done every time you decided you needed to talk to me! You drag us out into the woods and yell at me for doing what you made me to do!_ Hyde said irritably, slipping into existence right in front of Henry. His blond hair was in a mess, he was paler than normal.

“I think you're still freaked out from the blood thing and have worked yourself into a fit. You’re the only one yelling. I wouldn't yell, it would attract attention.” Henry pointed out.

 _You know what I mean!_ Edward cried. _What.have I done to upset you this time?_ He demanded.

Henry sighed. “I don't know.” He admitted. “I just… I need you to make me a deal.”

 _Why._ Hyde asked suspiciously, narrowing his green eyes. _Why do you want another deal from me? You already have one. By the by, you should really let someone else kill him so that I don't have to._

“Stop. Just stop, Edward.” Henry said. “That's half of what I need to talk to you about. We need to come to an agreement.”

 _An agreement about what?_ Edward asked.

“You have gotten on my case about trying to control what you do and you’re right.” Henry admitted. “I don't know how to be you, I don't know what it's like and I can't possibly understand you or pretend to judge you for what you're doing.”

 _Okay… that's all fine and dandy but where's the catch?_ Edward asked. _I smell a catch._

“Yes, Edward, there's a catch.” Henry agreed. “I can't possibly understand you or judge you but… you can't possibly understand or judge me.”

 _Here we go._ Edward rolled his eyes. _Is this about what I said about not owing Rachel anything? Because you don't._

“A little. And what you said about Robert. Listen, I'll let you handle the killing side as you see fit. Even if it gets us hurt but… you have to let me handle things how I have to.”

_Even if you're being stupid?_

“Especially if I’m being stupid.” Henry agreed. “I need a chance to rationalize all of this how I have to. You may be built to withstand this Edward but… I'm not.”

Edward sighed. _I suppose that makes sense._ He agreed. _Now you should get that trap set. You promised Robert you would explain everything tonight._

“I did, didn't I.” Henry sighed. “Any ideas for a lie?”

_The abducted by purple aliens is still on the table._

Despite himself, Henry smiled and walked off to set the traps. Edward grinned as well and blinked out of sight.

 

District 1- Luxury: Jekyll (17), Lanyon (18)  
~~District 2- Masonry: Mosley (14), Doddle (15)~~   
~~District 3- Technology: Pennebrygg (16), Flowers (15)~~   
District 4- Fishing: Helsby (17), ~~Maijabi (18)~~  
~~District 5- Power: Tweedy (15), Ito (16)  
District 6- Transport: Bryson (17), Griffin (17) ~~   
District 7- Lumber: Morcant (18), Moreau (18)   
District 8- Textiles: Frankie (18), Creature (14)   
District 9- Grain: ~~Jasper (14)~~ , Rachel (15)   
~~~~~~District 10- Livestock: Lavender (14), Cantilupe (18)~~  
 ~~District 11- Agriculture: Bird (18), Archer (16)~~   
District 12- Mining: Sinnett (15), Luckett (16)


	20. Chapter 20

_Henry! Henry!_

Henry sat up with a start when he heard Edward start to freak out, voice high and reedy. _Henry get up get up get up!_ He cried. _Henry! The werewolf from District 7 she’s coming!_

“How do you know?” Henry hissed.

 _Do you want to waste time with particulars or do you want to get the hell out of camp so that you can lure her off and turn into someone who can deal with her before she decides to attack your precious little boyfriend and yourself?_ Edward demanded.

“Right.” Henry scrambled to his feet. Grabbed the bag from beside where he was sleeping, slung it over his shoulder.

 _Make as much noise as you can. Convince her that all three of you are running._ Hyde hissed. _Yell at me, do something!_

“A-alright.” Henry agreed, running out of the camp. “Let’s… let’s go…”

 _Wow, what a great plan. I wish I had come up with it._ Hyde said sarcastically. _Fucking move! Find somewhere and hit the fucking ground!_ He snapped.

Henry kept running. There were footsteps behind him. The wolf was following him, which he was grateful for and also confused about. There were two sleeping targets right on the ground where she had been heading and she had turned around to chase him. 7

Whatever. At least it kept her away from Robert.

 _Henry fucking focus you goddamn piece of shit you’re getting all distracted and you’re going to get us fucking eaten!_ Hyde shrieked. _Fucking run and hide you bitch!_

“Okay okay I’m going!” Henry ducked behind a tree, gasping for air. “Go go go go go!” He hissed.

 _Well if you fucking would stop panicking so that I can get control again that would be fucking nice, asshole!_ Hyde snapped.

“I’m trying!” Henry gasped, leaning back against the tree.

 _I hate you._ Hyde muttered, and then Henry choked and hit the ground, stomach twisting. He gasped, curling in on himself, bones snapping and crackling and reforming into new forms, shrinking, rearranging, and…

 

“God you’re a prick. Where is this werewolf bitch?” Hyde muttered, getting to his feet and dusting himself off, tightening Henry’s clothes. He grabbed the knife out of Henry’s bag.

 _I didn’t make it difficult on purpose, Hyde. Where did she end up?_ Henry asked, showing up beside the blond.

“No, fuck off go away you’re going to block my vision.” Hyde scolded. Gave Jekyll a shove and watched him dissipate into the air. Just in time for the werewolf to jump him. “FUCK!”

He rolled with her, making her carry his weight through the fall, tried to ignore the teeth in his shoulder as he went head-over heels. Stabbed the knife into her side and pulled, got her to take her teeth out of his shoulder and they sprang apart.

“Fucking bitch!” Edward muttered. His shoulder was burning, was wet. He could feel something dripping down his arm.

 _Don't look!_ Henry snapped.

“Right.” Edward agreed.

The wolf snarled at him and lunged again. He dropped and rolled, crushing his wounded shoulder into the ground but he grit his teeth and got to his feet. “Goddammit.” Hyde muttered.

The wolf growled, circled around him. Edward held the knife in front of him, stayed facing her.

She lunged again. He dropped and ended up under her, jammed the knife into her side again, yanked it back as she hurled over him, snapping down at him. Her teeth grazed his nose but she didn't manage to break skin.

He didn't think they broke skin. He didn't have time to worry about it, since before he was off the ground the wolf had a paw on his chest and her jaws snapping in his face. He put the knife in his teeth and reached up to hold her away, hold her teeth away from his face. Her breath smelled, she snarled and snapped, Hyde’s arms shook. Jekyll didn't even dare criticize, he was scared into silence.

Desperately, Hyde reached a foot up and kicked the wolf, aiming for where he had stabbed her previously. She whined and backed off, just for a second and that was enough for Edward to shove her off of him and scramble to his feet.

Just to have her teeth snap into his leg and jerk him off his feet, back onto the ground. She shook her head, Hyde fought the urge to cry out in pain as her teeth bit easily through his skin and muscles and felt like they scraped bone.

He drew his other foot back, leaning in his elbows, and kicked her for all he was worth in one of her eyes, but she didn't let go. She thrashed him around again, and Hyde lost what balance he had, ended up sprawled out on the ground with blood running down his leg. Her teeth dug in further and he screamed.

He kicked her again. Nothing.

Forced himself upright and drove the knife into her eye.

She howled in pain, jerked backwards. Hyde hardly got his knife back out of her eye.

She ran off. Hyde forced himself to his feet, he could barely walk on the leg she had mauled, tried to go after her but heard a scream behind him.

 _Edward it was a distraction!_ Henry gasped. _She lured us away you have to go back!_

“Can't…” Hyde whispered. Sunk back to the ground. “Rachel’ll kill me.”

 _Right. I'll go. Just… just relax, you did well._ Henry said gently, appearing at his side again. _That… that looks bad._ He said, looking down at Hyde’s leg.

“You're telling me.” Hyde’s eyes drifted shut. Jekyll immediately seized control from him again. He felt a twist in his gut, bones begin to crack, then sank into blissful nothingness.

Henry would have to handle this emergency. Hyde would come back later.

 

Henry regretted running, but he didn't have another choice. It hurt like hell, each step feeling like agony shooting into his leg, but he had the only weapon and had to get back to Robert and Rachel.

He ran back into the clearing they had camped in.

Saw the man from the same district as the werewolf swinging a _mace_ at Robert and didn't think. Jumped onto his back and drove the knife as far into the joint of the man’s shoulder as he could. The man howled and threw him off, knife still wedged in the wound. Henry fell onto the ground, Rachel helped him back to his feet. “Get your knife back!” She hissed.

Henry nodded. Leapt again, didn't manage to catch on but did send the man stumbling, which was all he needed to pull the knife out and hold it to the invader again.

Glanced back at Robert. His friend was bleeding already.

He didn't have a choice. He lunged at the man from District 7 again, only to have him turn tail and flee.

If anything, Henry was relieved. He ran over to Robert. “What happened are you alright?” He gasped.

“Well, not particularly, I did get hit by a mace.” Robert reasoned, holding a hand against the wound on his arm. “I would say I'm not very alright. What happened to you?”

“Werewolf came back.”

“Sure she did.” Rachel said.

 _That's it._ Hyde muttered. _We have to deal with her or she's gonna kill us in our sleep. Henry, convince her to follow you out of camp._

Henry swallowed. He didn't want to be a part of Hyde’s plan to kill Rachel.

But he didn't have a choice.

“I'll be alright, Robert, don't worry about me. Rachel? Could we talk? Outside of camp?” Henry asked, as pleasantly as he could. Stuck the knife in the pocket of his jacket.

Rachel picked up her sharpened stick and nodded. “Will he be alright?”

“I'm fine!” Robert assured her. “Go and talk.”

Henry nodded and led her out of camp, following directions Hyde gave him. Rachel was limping almost as badly as he was, and had a bloody spot on her jacket.

She was injured too. Hyde must have planned for that. Henry kept walking.

Emerged in a clearing very familiar. “How did you know where this was?” Rachel demanded. “You weren't there how the hell did you know how to find it?”

Henry suddenly realized that it was the same clearing Hyde had killed Jasper in.

 _Henry? Make this quick._ Hyde murmured in his ear. His breath felt like cold glass. Henry knew what he was doing. As soon as he felt Hyde try for power, he gave it over. Not that Hyde really needed him to.

Rachel recoiled as Henry fell to the ground, retching and choking and coughing and _changing._  Changing into something else. Someone else.

And Henry Jekyll was swept aside.

 

Hyde sat up to look at her. “Miss me, Romeo?” He asked pleasantly, getting to his feet. “Congratulations! You were right! Henry did have to do with Jasper’s death. A pleasure to meet you, really, the name’s Edward Hyde.” He said brightly.

“You!” Rachel growled, charging at him, sharpened stick pointed at his throat. Hyde sidestepped and jabbed the knife into Rachel’s side. Pulled it free.

“Nice try! Would have worked, if I was Henry.” He said with a grin. “But I'm not. Try again?”

Her anger was making her more predictable. She cried out and charged him again. Hyde stepped to the other side. Rachel took the knife in her other side and gasped.

“Are we done, or are you going to keep trying all of this?” Hyde asked.

Rachel stumbled a bit, but leveled her weapon again. Ran at him, but this time took his sidestep into account and gazed his cheek.

“You do learn! I was worried this would be boring!” Hyde said brightly, let her run again and caught the end of the stick, using it and her momentum to swing her into the ground. He wrenched it out of her hands and threw it aside. She tried to stand up but Hyde was already on top of her, pinning her to the ground.

He smiled. “You know, Jasper put up a better fight.” He remarked, tracing the knife against her cheek. She spat in his face. “Immature. And disgusting.” Hyde complained. “But see, here I thought you were the fighter, but Jasper came closer to besting me! But.... he hesitated.” Hyde drew the knife back. Saw defiance and fear in Rachel’s green eyes. She stared him down. “I don't.”

He stabbed the knife into her chest. She cried out in pain, but quickly fell still. A canon went off, her eyes went foggy.

Hyde looked up to see a camera floating above him. “Oh, finally decided to show them? I do hope you show it all, if you haven't already, Seneca.” He said nonchalantly. Pulled the knife back and contemplated it.

Licked some of the blood off of it before laying down and letting Henry take control again.

 

Henry barely managed to stumble back to camp. He was stiff, his left didn't want to work, he was still shaking, wasn't sure whether to laugh or scream or cry or do all three.

“Henry!” Robert rushed up to him, pulled him into a tight hug. “Oh my god Henry what happened to you? You look even worse than when you left with Rachel!”

Henry collapsed into his arms, face buried in Robert’s shirt. “Too much…” He murmured, arms wrapping around Robert, knife dropping to the ground.

“Where's Rachel?”

Henry shook his head. “She…”

 _Tell him she attacked you._ Hyde said gently. _Tell him she thought you had a hand in Jasper’s death and wouldn't hear otherwise. That you did what you had to._ He paused. _I'm sorry. I don't involve you again._

Henry nodded slightly to acknowledge Hyde. “I… I… she thought I helped kill Jasper.” He breathed. “She… she wouldn't listen to reason she thought I killed him… she thought I helped… She… she attacked me Robert I… I had to…” He whispered.

“Oh god. Oh god, you… you killed her, didn't you?” Robert realized.

Henry nodded. “I'm sorry I'm so sorry…” He hiccuped.

“No, no, don't be sorry…” Robert whispered. “You… you did what you had to. She attacked you.” He reasoned. “You had to. You shouldn't feel bad you had to.”

Henry nodded. Held on tighter to Robert. Heard his stomach gurgle. “I… I never did manage to get us any food.” He realized.

“I'll live. You're hurt, we have to-"

“We have nothing to mend these with.” Henry said softly. “We have no medical supplies.”

His shoulder and leg were still bleeding. He was surprised that Hyde hadn't freaked out about it. The blood running down Robert’s arm showed no signs of stopping.

“We have to try.”

Henry looked up at him desolately.

Just in time to see a silver parachute float something down in front of him. He grabbed it, tore the box open and found some sort of cream and a roll of gauze.

And a note.

_You two have their attention. Keep it up, Henry._

_~Lucy_

Something told Henry she wasn't talking about Henry and Robert when she said you two.

“What does it say?” Robert asked.

“To keep doing things as we’re doing them. We have Capitol’s attention now.” Henry replied, pulling Robert’s green jacket off to smear some of the cream onto the wound on his arm, the bind it as tightly as he could.

“We don't.” Robert corrected, taking the supplies from him. “You do. Sit down and let me patch up your wounds.”

Henry didn't argue. He practically fell to the ground, let Robert carefully pry his boot off, push his pant leg up out of the way. “This is really bad, Henry.” He said.

“I know.” Henry muttered. “Just do the best you can.”

Robert nodded. Used his own jacket to wipe away some of the blood, that and water from their canteen, then smeared the ointment on the punctures and bound them tightly. “Your shoulder and side, too, Henry.” He instructed.

Henry shrugged off his jacket.

“So. This wolf liked to bite. I don't see a fresh clawmark on you.” Robert said.

“I suppose. What are you getting at?” Henry asked.

“Henry. Did you kill Jasper?” Robert asked seriously. “Is he the one that hurt you the first time?”

Henry looked down, defeated. “Yes.” He admitted.

Robert sighed. “I'm sure you had your reasons.”

Henry looked at him in surprise. “What?”

“These are the Hunger Games. You are here to kill people. No sense judging you for it.” Robert decided. “So I won't. You did what you saw fit. I just wish you had told me the truth in the first place.”

“I couldn't. Not with Rachel there.” Henry said, hissing in pain as Robert dabbed at the punctures in his shoulder.

“I understand.” Robert said.

“I'm sorry.” Henry said softly. “I… that's not the only reason. I… I didn't want you to know. That I… That I had already-"

“Rachel didn't turn on you, did she.”

“No.”

Robert looked up at him. “When you decide it's down to you or me, you don't need any tricks.”

Henry heard what he left unspoken. _I'll die to send you home._

 

 

 _District 1- Luxury: Jekyll (17), Lanyon (18)_  
~~District 2- Masonry: Mosley (14), Doddle (15)~~  
~~District 3- Technology: Pennebrygg (16), Flowers (15)~~  
District 4- Fishing: Helsby (17),  ~~Maijabi (18)~~  
~~District 5- Power: Tweedy (15), Ito (16)  
District 6- Transport: Bryson (17), Griffin (17) ~~  
District 7- Lumber: Morcant (18), Moreau (18)   
District 8- Textiles: Frankie (18), Creature (14)   
~~District 9- Grain: Jasper (14), Rachel (15)~~  
~~District 10- Livestock: Lavender (14), Cantilupe (18)~~  
 ~~District 11- Agriculture: Bird (18), Archer (16)~~  
District 12- Mining: Sinnett (15), Luckett (16)


	21. Chapter 21

“Henry?” Robert whispered, leaning down to be in Henry’s face. “Henry, we should change the bandages. It has been three days.” He murmured. “Wake up, Henry.” 

“No…” Henry muttered, rolling away from Robert. “‘M sleeping…” 

“And if you keep sleeping, your leg and shoulder will get infected and you’ll die. You really need to stop letting werewolves hurt you, Henry, honestly.” Robert scolded, shaking his partner’s uninjured shoulder. “Henry! Get up you big jerk!” 

Henry groaned and gave him a shove. “I don't want to. I want to keep sleeping.” He complained. 

“Too bad. I need to clean up those bites again, and rebandage them.” Robert told him, shaking his shoulder again. “Wake up! Wake up already!”

“We don’t have enough bandages.” Henry said. “We can’t waste them.”

“So impress the Capitol some more, Henry. You’ve got it in you, clearly.” Henry opened his eyes then, but refused to look at Robert. Tears filled his red eyes. “Hey, I’m not giving you a hard time, Henry. I’m happy that at least one of us is handling what… what we have to do here. Now get up and let me clean you up.” 

Henry groaned and sat up, but didn’t try to stand. Robert couldn’t blame him, his leg was likely really bothering him. He had gotten hurt bad. Robert untied his boot slowly, he was honestly surprised that Henry had even managed to get it back on in the first place. Set it to the side. Henry’s sock was bloodstained, Robert walked over and stuck it in the water, let it soak in the best option for cleaning blood up that he had. Pulled it out, walked back over to Henry. Unwound the bloody bandages he had tied on it a few nights ago. 

Looked over the punctures in Henry’s leg. Wasn’t happy with what he saw. It wasn’t bad, the cream had likely helped a lot, but it still looked bad. He hadn’t gotten District 1 medicine, so it wasn’t working how he wanted it to. 

Course, it was better than nothing. He dabbed the dried blood away, trying to be careful not to start it again. Cleaned up the rough edges of the pink. The torn flesh was pinkish and swollen, but not truly infected. Lanyon grabbed the little jar of cream and dabbed more onto Henry’s leg. Wound it in fresh bandages and put his boot back on. “Sorry, I soaked your sock.” He said. 

“Don’t worry about it.” Henry assured him. “I’ll be fine.” 

“I’m sure a sock is the least of your problems. Now jacket off, I need to clean out the other two as well.” 

“Robert, you really don’t need to bother-”

“Yes I do.” Robert said. “You need to stay healthy. I have to make that possible. Jacket off.” 

Henry huffed and pulled off his jacket. Robert reached over and unwound the bandages wrapped around his shoulder. 

Those looked better than his leg, at least, but to be fair the punctures on his leg were deeper. 

“Pretty bad, huh Doc.” Henry said, trying to lighten the mood. 

“What did she do to you?” Robert asked, voice hushed, brushing his fingers against the torn skin. 

“That one? Leapt at me. Grabbed my shoulder and dragged me down with her. I barely managed to make her let go.” Henry explained. 

“And your leg?” Robert asked. 

“She pulled me off my feet.” 

“You didn't kill her.” Robert said. He knew it was true, there hadn’t been a cannon for it. “Why?”

“No.” Henry agreed. “But I stabbed her in the eye with the knife. She ran off and I was going to chase her but I heard you guys over here.” 

“And what did you do to Rachel and Jasper.” 

Jekyll looked away. He didn't want to discuss them. 

“You don't have to tell me, I only want to know what my ally is capable of. Maybe start trying to make a plan.” Robert explained. 

He wanted to know what the boy who had stolen his heart was capable of. Not to judge, but some part of him needed to know. Needed to hear from Henry’s own mouth what he had done to his own allies. 

Needed to prepare himself. After all, that very same fate could be awaiting him at the end of the games. At any point. Perhaps even tomorrow. 

“I… I just… Jasper… he almost… he nearly killed me.” Henry admitted softly. 

“I’m not surprised, he was a werewolf. I’m surprised you did not come back hurt worse.” Robert admitted, smearing cream on Henry’s shoulder and wrapping it in bandages again. Unwrapped the last bandages, the ones wrapped around Henry’s chest. Looked over the clawmarks. 

At least those looked satisfactorily better. They weren’t healing, but they were certainly better than they had been. He smiled and put some more of the cream on those and wrapped them up again. 

“There. Now we can-” 

“Not so fast.” Henry said suddenly. Robert looked down at him. 

“What’s wrong?” He asked, confused. 

“You were hurt too. When Moreau attacked us.” Henry said, reached out and unwrapping the bandages that Robert had not forgotten we around his arm, but had tried to ignore. 

“I’m sure it’s fine.” He said, smiling at Henry. “You were right. We should spare supplies.”

“No way.” Henry said, grabbed the cream and bandages from him. He dabbed at the wound with the sock Robert had soaked in the river, cleared the blood away from it. 

“It’s just from metal. Shouldn’t infect.” Robert said. 

“I still want to be sure.” Henry told him, dabbed a bunch of cream onto his arm, then wrapped the wound back up in bandages. “There. I… I gutted him. You… you asked what I did to Jasper. That’s what happened. He pinned me to the ground and was going to tear my throat out, but I had the knife in my hand.” He explained, looking down at the ground. “And… and Rachel tried to attack me when… well, I can’t say that, can I. Since… since I lured her out there. I… at least that one was quick.” He sighed. “I didn’t want to hurt them, Robert. I… I would never have hurt them-”

“I know, Henry.” Robert assured him. “Trust me, I know. This is… this is life now we actually have to do this.” He conceded. “I just… I just hope you’re prepared to see it through. All the way till the end.” 

Henry nodded sullenly. “All the way till the end.” He agreed, sighing. 

Robert smiled. “I’m glad to finally here that.” 

  
  


“I demand to speak to someone in charge of something!” Lanyon yelled at the peacekeeper who had been telling him all day that interfering with the games was impossible. Like hell it was! His son was locked in that arena with a fucking monster and the Capitol was eating it up!  “This has to be a violation or some sort!” 

“Do you think that the the Capitol foresaw a case like this when they made the rules seventy-four years ago, MisterLanyon? Nothing that has been done has violated any rules!” The peacekeeper said evenly. “I know you're upset, but I will remind you that your son refused any volunteers. He is there by choice.” 

“It is that Jekyll boy.” Lanyon hissed. “He wouldn't have gone, he was supposed to be smart he always told me he would be smart and accept a volunteer but that stupid Jekyll boy didn't get one… his stupid crush on that kid is why this all happened.” He sighed. “Either way, you have to admit there is something wrong here!” 

“Look. I can contact the Capitol and bring it up, but I doubt it will even reach the gamemakers.  What do you want them to do, anyways?” 

“Let the kids from this game go, and dispose of that… thing. Mister Jekyll. Dispose of him.” Lanyon said confidently. 

“And do you truly think that the gamemakers can stop the games for every single parent who complains about the situation of their son? Nothing has been violated, Mister Lanyon! I know this feels unfair but nothing Mister Jekyll has done is against the rules, and therefore you have no grounds to be making the demands that you are.” The peacekeeper said. 

“No grounds? You’re telling me I have no grounds for saying that children should not be locked in an arena with a killing machine?” 

“I’ve counted at least three killing machines in that arena this year, including the blond kid.” The peacekeeper said. “None of them are your son. Might I suggest that instead of yelling at me about the fact that your son is a headstrong idiot, you start planning his memorial? I’ll remind you that you likely don’t want to plan for an open casket.” The man said with an awful sneer. “Given that the lab seems to enjoy disemboweling his victims.” 

“How dare you?” Lanyon sprang to his feet, slammed his hands into his desk. 

“I don’t answer to you in any way, shape or form, Mayor Lanyon, I may say what I please. And I do not like where this conversation is going, nor how you seem to believe you can speak to me while I am doing you a favour, so I am going to leave now.” The peacekeeper decided, tone even. He got to his feet and walked over to the door. 

“Wait! Wait, please…” Lanyon fell back into his seat, buried his face in his hands. “Don’t… don’t go. I’m sorry…” 

“Listen. Because this happens to be the first time you’ve done something stupid like you just did, I’ll pass along your precious message. That’s the best I can possible do for you. But I wouldn’t count on any results.”

He walked out.

A woman, dark skinned, tightly coiled hair, stepped into the room out of a doorway behind her husband’s desk. “You’ve killed our son.” She said, voice bleak, emotionless.

Lanyon didn’t look up. The world was crashing down around him, he could barely breathe. “I know.”

He hadn’t wanted to admit it. He had wanted to blame it all on Henry Jekyll, he had been telling himself that Robert had gone because of Henry Jekyll. But everything Robert had done and said since the reaping suggested that it was his father’s. The interviews, and Robert saying he was in the games to prove that he couldn’t be controlled, to prove his own worth. His refuse to take a volunteer, how he had ignored his parents at the reaping. 

That he had refused to say anything but goodbye to his father in his last hour in District 1. 

It was his fault. All he had done had been to protect his son and it had driven his son to this.

Lanyon’s wife’s hands touched his shoulders. “We both did.” She whispered. 

A tear tracked down Lanyon’s face. It didn’t make it better.

 

“Call the games off? Over a kid who's another kid, with fifteen kids dead? All because District 1’s mayor has a son in that arena? That's a good way to have rebellions on our hands.” Seneca laughed. “You can tell the mayor that there’s no way I’ll be doing that. I don't really care who’s in the arena, the games will continue.” He decided. The figure in the hologram before him nodded.

“Perhaps we could reach a compromise. We could afford to avoid any uprising from District 1 as well.” Someone suggested. 

“And how might we do that?” Seneca asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Send something to kill this tribute that the mayor is so upset about, and allow the games to continue. Make it something that most districts would believe was an accident, and continue as if nothing had happened. We’ll spare ourselves any district’s anger.” She said. 

Seneca paused to consider that idea. It wasn’t necessarily a bad one. They could afford to keep District 1 pleased, too many people in the Capitol relied on the luxury items made available by that district to risk a falling out between them and the Capitol. And it wouldn’t hurt anything to get rid of the blond. “Perhaps we could… but the Capitol does love him. Cutthroat Lucy is being given a lot to work with for her district thanks to him. We picked the right transformation to televise, the look on that farm girl’s face coulda sold for millions.”

“The Capitol loved that cannibal kid Titus for a while, too.” The gamemaker reasoned. “This kid keeps licking blood off his knife, that’s pretty damn close to cannibalism. We have grounds to get rid of him before he turns the Capitol off these games.”

Seneca sighed. “I suppose that’s true.” 

“We have all sorts of ways to do it, too. We might end up taking out both members of District 1 and not just him, but that would only serve as proof that we weren’t targeting anyone with the event.” She admitted. 

Seneca frowned. “No.” He decided suddenly. “We’re not going to target him. My job is not to pander to the districts, my job is to satisfy the Capitol and President Snow.” He declared, smiling. “The tribute stays. Besides. What's the point of killing him immediately after we show the world who he is?”

“Mayor Lanyon won’t be happy.” The peacekeeper said, not very concerned. 

“It is not my concern whether or not Mayor Lanyon will be happy, the purpose of these games is not to please the districts anyways.” Seneca said. “I hardly know who Mayor Lanyon is, I wouldn’t not know who he was if he was not the mayor or his son was not in the games. So I don’t really care. If I send something to kill the Jekyll boy his parents will be upset too. If that something kills the mayor’s son, the mayor will still be upset. If I pander to this district I’ll most certainly lose this job and if I do what the mayor wants me do and release all the tributes, I’ll lose my  _ head.  _ So the answer is no.” 

“I did tell Lanyon that was likely to be the case.” The peacekeeper admitted. “He would not hear reason. He is afraid for his son.” 

“He should be, his son’s pathetic and would be dead if it weren’t for the tribute he so badly wants dead.” Seneca said with a sniff. “He should have written that boy off the moment the reaping was over and gone and spent a night with his wife to have another. And on that subject, tell the Mayor that President Snow will be made aware of his proposition. He would do well for himself to return to his job and never mention anything of this sort again. Wouldn’t want anyone to have to make an example of him.” 

“Of course.” The peacekeeper agreed. Seneca shut down the call and the hologram before him pixelated away. “Stop the games. Who does he think he is, the president?” He laughed. 


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I'm not going to apologize for this taking forever, inspiration was lacking and I'm in university. I'll have the next chapter up as soon as I can, but I would continue to expect long gaps between updates.

“Robert… Robert, it’s raining… it’s raining a lot…” Henry murmured. There was a puddle right beside where he was laying down.

“Still?” Robert groaned, getting up to check out the extent of the water. “Geez. This is getting really bad. We… we might have to leave this camp, Henry.” He admitted, looking over the groan. “It is getting frightfully flooded here. We don’t want to be caught here if it gets out of hand.”

Henry nodded and hauled himself to his feet. Brushed himself off and picked up his bag. Took a step forwards, stumbled and nearly fell over. Robert rushed over to his side to hold him up.

“Careful!” He cried, wrapping Henry’s arm around his shoulder. “It’s alright, just lean on me I’ll get us moving. Stay off your leg.” He said, leaning Henry against his side and taking a step. Henry hopped on one foot to keep up with him, his foot landed in a mud puddle and he almost fell again. “Henry, honestly, are you trying to die?” Robert scolded, pulling him back up.

“I slipped!” Henry protested. “It is rather hard to watch my step when I’m hopping around like a hooligan.”

“Do you want me to carry you?” Robert asked. Henry thought he was joking, he really did.

“Go for it.”

He was immediately scooped up off the ground. “Robert!”

“I asked if you wanted me to carry you,” Robert said simply, picking up the pace a little. “Besides. You’re going to slow us down. I’ll change the bandage on your leg when we find some high ground, see if that helps at all. You’re going to have to start walking on it, to toughen it up a little.” He decided. “But it can wait until we find somewhere safe.”

Henry nodded.

 _I’ll figure something out, it’s my fault, anyways._ Hyde assured him. _Maybe we can do something to put less weight on it._

Henry nodded, just a little. He didn’t actually blame Hyde for this one. The other injuries they had sustained? Absolutely. But the ones from the second werewolf? Hyde had honestly attacked her to try and protect the others.

Well, and himself, but it counted for something that Hyde’s main plan had been keep her out of the camp.

No, what Henry was still upset about was being forced to play a hand in Hyde’s scheme to kill Rachel. So he didn’t say anything to dissuade the blond that everything happening of late was his fault. He let Hyde wallow in whatever guilt he could feel.

_I had to kill her eventually. I know you’re still mad about it, but that was the best way to do it. Too much to chance if I lured her myself. You’re just upset because you finally had to do something in this damn arena and not just leave all the dirty work to me. Grow up, Henry._

Okay, so apparently he hadn’t done a very good job of hiding the fact that he was still angry with Hyde. Not if the blond was well aware of it.

But he was within his rights. He had liked Rachel, and had never wanted to be part of Hyde’s horrible schemes.

And besides, it was worse since Robert had found out.

_Oh, yes. Perfect little Robert can’t find out that you’ve been killing everyone._

“ _You’ve_ been killing everyone.” Jekyll breathed.

“What was that, Henry?” Robert asked. “Is something wrong?”

“No.” Henry assured him. “Just talking to myself.”

 _I’ve been killing everyone? Henry, I am you!_ Edward laughed. _If I’ve been killing everyone, so have you._ He laughed. _So you really shouldn’t be blaming me for all of this. You are the one who made me to see if you could use a potion to win the fucking Hunger Games!_

Henry didn’t have an answer to that. Edward was right. He had done this, on purpose, to go into the Hunger Games and… have Edward kill anyone that stood in the way of him getting home.

 _If you want to get bitter, maybe I’ll make you kill the next person. Next time someone finds our hideout and tries to slaughter you and Robert, I’ll make you deal with it. Sound like something you want to do? Or would you rather just quit being a little bitch about Rachel?_ Hyde offered, suddenly walking beside Robert. Henry took some small satisfaction in the fact that not inhabiting the body didn’t stop him needing to limp. Their ankle was clearly bothering both of them. _What’s it going to be, Henry?_

Surely he knew that Henry couldn’t answer him. Not with Robert there. Henry wasn’t going to blow their cover by answering Hyde and talking to himself in front of his partner.

 _Oh, of course you can’t answer me. Can’t have Robert hearing you. How does it feel to keep a secret like this from your dear sweet little Robert, hmm Henry? But you know as well as I do that you can’t tell him. Can’t lose that advantage we have against him, if it comes down to it!_ He laughed, an ugly, mocking sound. Henry shivered.

“Are you alright?” Robert asked, looking down at him in concern. Water dripped down his face and splattered in Henry’s. The rain had gotten even worse. Henry could hear Robert’s footsteps splashing with every step he took.

“I’m alright.” Henry assured him. “It’s dangerous to go so far inland, all of the other tributes will be headed that way as well.” He remarked.

“I know. But we can’t stay here or we’ll drown.” Robert told him. “We have to go back towards the cornucopia and risk it.” He decided.

“Are you sure that’s smart?”

“It’s the only choice we have. I don’t like it either, Henry.” Robert said softly. “You just… don’t worry too much, I’ll get us to dry land.” He promised.

The rain was falling in sheets now. Running beneath Robert’s feet. Henry’s partner took another step and stumbled, ended up knees down in a puddle. Henry ended up in it too. It had to be at least two feet now. “Robert, I’ll… I’ll walk myself you can’t carry me through this! We have to keep moving!”

Robert nodded, scrambled back to his feet. “Are you sure? I can-”

“No Robert, I can walk.” Henry assured him, taking a few steps. He had to limp, but he couldn’t burden Robert any further than he already had. He couldn’t make Robert carry him through the water, not how it was now.

 _Back to the cornucopia?_ Edward seemed to have just heard that. _Good. I want a different weapon. Knives are boring and the time for being inconspicuous is over._

“Says who?” Henry hissed.

 _Says the one in charge in this arena._ Edward replied with a sniff. _You told me that the games were my place to rule. Hence, I get a new weapon._ He said, picking at his fingernails from beside Henry.

“And how are you going to steal a weapon from a guarded cornucopia when we can barely walk, Edward.”

 _Figure we’re going to turn into a werewolf?_ Edward asked with a laugh. _This is how it happens to people, right?_   
“I’m just hoping we’re fucked up enough without it and it backs off. Maybe the potion will prevent it.”

_Could you imagine that? Not just two people, two people and a werewolf!_

“Trust you to be excited about turning into a beast.” Henry muttered.

“Henry, are you talking to somebody?” Robert asked.

“No!” Henry said nervously. “Come on, you’re right, we should get to the cornucopia!” He decided.

Beside him, Edward snickered. _I’m getting a new weapon. Tonight. I’ll make you let me if you won’t go peacefully._

Henry sighed. In that case, he supposed he really wasn’t going to get a choice.

“Come on, the water is getting deeper, Henry. We still have to keep moving.” Robert said with a sigh. “If we stop…”

“We’ll drown. Yeah, it’s getting to that point, it’s it?” Henry sighed. The water was most of the way up his legs now. If he fell, he was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to get back up again. There was a current near his feet.

Robert turned back to him. Grabbed his hand without a word, Henry wasn’t sure if it was a gesture or just to make sure he didn’t go under. “Come on then.”

Henry nodded, and took another step.

 

\---

 

“Jonathan! Jonathan wake up!” Sinnett cried. “Jonathan we need to get up we can’t stay here it’s flooding!”

Luckett sat up with a groan. He and Sinnett were sleeping on an outcropping of rocks, well off the ground…

Or where the ground had been. He looked off the rock he had been sleeping on. “Oh, good lord.”

“I don’t think he’s listening here, Jonathan.” Sinnett said in a hushed voice. “Come on, we have to get down off these rocks, we have to get moving.” He insisted.

“Anthony, I’m moving as fast as I can, considering I just woke up.” Luckett assured him, pulling on his jacket and sliding off the rock into the water. It was up to his waist already. That was definitely not a good sign. “Can you swim?” He asked.

“No.” Sinnett replied. “Not exactly an easily entertainable hobby in District 12.” He said, biting his lip. “What about you?”

“No.” Luckett said honestly. “We’re just going to hope we get to higher ground before it floods worse than it has.”

Sinnett gave a grim nod, slid off the rocks and splashed into the water. “Is it took much to hope for that no one will be killing during the flood?”

“Definitely.” Luckett said, look a difficult step forwards. The current was pulling at his feet. “Someone will be creeping along behind to stab us just when we think we’re safe. It’s the Hunger Games and we’re here to die, Sinnett, just like District 12 always is.”

“We can’t give up until we’re dead, Jon.” Sinnett said. “Otherwise, we might as well just lay down in the water and drown right now.”

Luckett sighed. “Who’s saying we shouldn’t, Anthony?”

“Me.” Sinnett replied. “I’m saying we shouldn’t. I’m saying we keep walking and we find higher ground.”

Luckett sighed, but supposed that Sinnett was right. They really couldn’t just give up. He took another step, nearly slipped off the ground. This was so not going to go well for him. They were going to drown, they hadn’t noticed the rain until too late. This was how it ended, wasn’t it? They had survived starvation and dehydration and everything else the stupid fucking arena had thrown at them and they were going to die in some water.

He took another step, did trip this time. Ended up under the water, Anthony had to pull him back up.

“Careful!” Anthony cried, helping him back onto his feet. “We can’t afford to be going under, Jon.”

“I know.” Luckett said with a sigh. Wiped the water off his face. “I didn’t really plan on it.”

Sinnett nodded. Kept a hand on Luckett’s shoulder and he pressed forwards through the water. The rain was still pouring down on them, running down Luckett’s face. The water had gotten even deeper. Luckett grit his teeth and kept walking, consistently nearly being swept off his feet.

This was impossible. They were going to die, right here, right now. There really was nothing to be done about it.

The water was cold. Luckett’s feet were going numb, his steps took him floating off the ground. He started trying to drag his feet more.

Immediately realized the problem when he got his foot caught on something. “Anthony? Anthony I’m stuck.” He said. Tried to pull his foot up, it didn’t budge. “Anthony!”

Sinnett half walked, half swam to Luckett, tried pulling him away from it. “It won’t let go!”

Luckett bit his lip. “I’m going to go under and try to break it free.” He decided. Immediately plunged under the water, pulled at whatever had caught his foot until he felt Sinnett try to pull him up.

He surfaced. “Anthony I still haven’t-”

The wave crashed down on him, sweeping Sinnett away from him and dragging him back under. He hit his head when he was buffeted into the ground. There were stars in his eyes in his head there was buzzing in his ears, and then there was nothing.

A few minutes later, the sound of a canon rang out across the area.

 

\---

 

“There’s no way it should be receding that fast.” Henry decided.

“I don’t trust it. They might be draining it for something else, they might be trying to tempt us back in so they can flood it again.” Robert agreed. “We’ll stay here for the night before going back into the woods.” He said. “Sit and dry out for a bit. How’s your ankle?”

“It hurts.” Henry admitted. “But I’ll live. If you’re worried, you can rebandage it tomorrow morning. Not tonight.” He would be turning into Hyde so that Hyde could go find a “better weapon”, there was no point in binding it just for it to come loose. Lord knew why Hyde had to be smaller than him.

“If it hurts, I should do something about it tonight.” Robert said.

“I think letting it sit might be best. Give it a chance to rest without poking at it.” Henry suggested. “I just want to get some rest right now, not worry about everything. I doubt the flood has left anyone in fighting condition.”

“Then what was the cannon earlier?” Robert asked.

“Probably someone drowning, Robert, they flooded half the arena.” Henry reasoned. “I doubt everyone got as lucky as we did, to get out of that flood alive.”

“I suppose we were pretty lucky.” Robert said with a sigh. “I just hope that luck holds.”

“I do too.” Henry agreed.

They had reached a good spot. He could just barely see the cornucopia, Hyde was sitting in the back of his mind, trying to predict what sorts of weapons he might find there. The spot was still treed in, but warm and dry and he could full-on see the sun, not just see it dappling the ground through the pine trees. He leaned back and laid down against the soft grass.

“Can we really afford to be relaxing right now, Henry?”

“Can we afford not to? We need to try, even if just for a moment. Sure, any minute a lunatic could sprint into the trees and try to kill us, but if we keep tense we’ll stress ourselves to death and do it for that lunatic.” Henry said. Took a deep breath. The air was earthy, smelled strongly of pine. It was the first time he had noticed it. “You know, this could be a beautiful place, if it wasn’t designed to be a slaughterhouse.”

“That it would be.” Robert looked at Henry a little longer before apparently giving in, since he laid down next to the brunet after a few seconds. “Fine. We’ll take a little while to rest and relax, then you need to- we don’t have any traps for food anymore.”

“I’ll try and find supplies to make more, just give me a few minutes.” Henry said. “It’s going to be okay.”

“Yeah, sure.”

 

 

**** District 1- Luxury: Jekyll (17), Lanyon (18)   
~~ District 2- Masonry: Mosley (14), Doddle (15)   
District 3- Technology: Pennebrygg (16), Flowers (15)   
~~ District 4- Fishing: Helsby (17),  ~~ Maijabi (18)   
District 5- Power: Tweedy (15), Ito (16)   
District 6- Transport: Bryson (17), Griffin (17)   
~~ District 7- Lumber: Morcant (18), Moreau (18)   
District 8- Textiles: Frankie (18), Creature (14)   
~~ District 9- Grain: Jasper (14), Rachel (15)   
District 10- Livestock: Lavender (14), Cantilupe (18)   
District 11- Agriculture: Bird (18), Archer (16)   
~~ District 12- Mining: Sinnett (15),  ~~Luckett (16)~~


	23. Chapter 23

“Are you sure we should go back in?” Henry asked.

“The sun is shining, it’s crazy hot in this arena, actually, the air is dry and we need the cover. Yes, I’m sure we should go back in,” Robert confirmed. “The flood is done. I'd say the gamemakers are trying to scorch us, now.”

“You’re right,” Henry agreed, “I’m being paranoid. The woods are our best bet.” 

“So who’s the next victim?” Robert asked suddenly, stepping back towards the trees. “You’ve gotten Jasper, that lady from District 10 and Rachel, who’s next?” 

“What?” 

“I want to help. Or at the very least not hinder. So who’s next?” Robert asked, “I have to assume you plan these in advance.”

“Some of them,” Henry admitted. 

“Jasper and Rachel.” 

“Yes. The other one was by opportunity,” he said. 

“I see.”

_ You could tell him the werewolf. She’s annoying, and I would like to get rid of her. _ Hyde suggested.  _ God, you wouldn’t believe that this place had flooded yesterday, it is sweltering. Poor Robert can’t even take off his coat, he has no shirt left.  _

Hyde was right. The arena had the sun beating down on its survivors. It was awful. “The wolf. Morcant. If we can, it would be good to get her out of the game, but I’ll need your help. To some extent. I can’t take her out on my own.” 

“Even with your new and upgraded weapon?” 

Jekyll was still annoyed about the fact that he was carrying around a fucking farming tool, but Hyde did fight better with a sickle than a knife. 

He had a flair for the extravagant. It was one of his many flaws.  _ Rude. _

“Even with the upgrade. Here, you take the knife now. You should have something to defend yourself with.” He handed the knife Hyde had killed three tributes with to Robert. 

“I suppose you’re right, and I should,” Robert said with a sigh. “So, plan?” 

“Well, we have to find her, first. You’ll probably end up being a distraction in this plan.” 

_ Distraction? He can’t be around that fight!  _ Hyde cried.  _ He’s not just annoying, and I don’t want him in the way. He’ll be expecting you! I don’t look like you!”  _ Henry was well aware of that. It was probably the greatest shortcoming of his experiment, was that Hyde looked so different from him. 

_ I wouldn’t want to look like you. You look boring. Everyone knows blonds have more fun. _

“Distraction? Sound’s dangerous!” Robert said with a playful smile. 

“You don’t have to. Really, just helping me find her would be a big help,” Henry assured him, 

“I want to help. You’ve done all the dirty work so far for both of us, I can help.” 

“I… I don’t want you to see,” Henry murmured, “I don’t want you to see me do that.” 

Robert frowned as he considered that. 

“I don’t want you to look at me and see that,” Henry whispered. “I want you to still see District 1 and everything good and if you see… that… then I’ll afraid it’s all you’ll ever see. That it’ll-”

“I get it. Just because I know you’ve killed in here doesn’t mean you want me to see it.” Robert said. 

“Exactly.” Henry agreed. “If… if you’re the one who makes it out of the arena alive, Robert, and I hope you are, I don’t want you to think of a murderer when you think of me.” 

“You aren’t a murderer. That’s the last thing I would think of, Henry, and if I am the one who makes it out, it’ll be because you made it happen. You’re a survivor, Henry, you took the hand you were dealt and dealt with it, and that’s a hell of a lot better than I’ve done so far. I know this isn’t what you want to be doing. I know this isn’t what you want. And this is never going to be what I think of when I think of you.” Robert promised. “I just have one question.” 

“What is that?” Henry asked. 

“If you were the one who took out Jasper, why was Rachel talking about a weird blond tribute?” He asked. 

_ Fuck. _

Henry had already thought of an answer for that, unlike Edward. “He arrived when I was leaving. Probably would have attacked me if I hadn’t run when I heard Rachel coming. He chased me, but knew not to follow me when I doubled back.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Rachel was there, didn’t want to put me there when Rachel was blaming the mystery tribute. You know, if I told her I was there, she would have had reason to suspect me.” 

“Fair enough. Shame it didn’t work out, she was a good ally to have.” Robert said.    
“Indeed she was.” Henry agreed. “I really didn’t want to kill her.”

“Yet.” 

“I feel like that’s the unwritten condition in this arena,” Henry said softly. “For everyone but you.”

“No, including me.” Robert corrected. “We’re not off each other’s ‘yet’ lists, Henry, like it or not.” 

“I don’t want to think about that.”

“Well, you should,” Robert said decisively. “We’re getting close to the end of the game.” 

“Have you?” Henry asked. “Have you thought about killing me?”

Robert didn’t answer. 

“Robert.”

“Once,” Robert confessed. “When I was looking after you. After Rachel died. I realized how easy it would have been to do, you were mostly unconscious. But I couldn’t. I had the knife in my hand and I couldn’t do it.” 

“You got that far?” Henry asked, red eyes wide. 

“I didn’t want to admit it. But… I don’t think I could ever do it.” He said softly. “Haven’t got it in me. You could do it, though. Get back to District 1, tell my father was a right prick he was. Hell, tell him it was his fault for all his fucking rules. Or maybe you won’t have to if the Capitol feels like airing this.” 

“I couldn’t imagine telling your father something like that,” Henry said, almost daring to laugh. “He would somehow talk one of the peacekeepers into executing me. He had it out for me before we ended up here, Robert.” 

“That he did. Horrible man, really.” Robert said, almost nonchalantly. “Never really understood why he hated you so much, but by god he did.” 

“That he did. Robert…” Henry trailed off. “Do you smell that?”

“Smell what?”

“Smoke.”

 

\---

 

Sinnett had barely gotten the chance to wake up from the very unplanned nap that hitting his head while being buffeted around in the water by the current, realize that Luckett was very probably dead and that he should be incredibly grateful that he was alive, even though he wasn’t, assess the state of the two mechanical arms he had and decide that the rust was probably not a pressing issue since he was likely going to die pretty soon, and haul his bruised, battered and scraped up body back to his feet when a girl leapt out of the woods at him. 

Which was very easily bad enough. Very easily. Just before the woman bowled him over, the situation was bad enough. But once she had bowled him over and back into the ground he had just gotten up off of, and he rolled to look back up at her and was now facing a goddamn wolf. 

He was going to die. 

The girl, who was apparently a werewolf, had always been staying in the borders of the woods, and Sinnett and Luckett had been staying much further away. But now the flood had washed him up near the cornucopia and he was in her target zone. 

The wolf lunged down at him. Sinnett shoved one arm in the way, her teeth crashed down on the metal. He heard gears crunch and break, but at the very least it wasn’t his throat being torn out. 

“Come on, Anthony…” He murmured. Spotted something about the wolf’s face that could maybe give him a fighting chance.

She was missing an eye. Recent. Sinnett clubbed the hand of his undamaged arm into the swollen socket of her missing eye for all he was worth. She yelped and jerked backwards, releasing his arm, and Sinnett scrambled back to his feet as soon as he could.

He was still absolutely going to die. But maybe he could hurt her. At least arrange it so that she was injured and somebody killed his killer, that she didn’t win, that he had accomplished something. 

She jumped at him again and he swung, aiming for her face. He felt his arm clunk into her snout, but she barely deviated and still knocked him off his feet and onto his back, winding him. She seemed to know not to lunge in again, this time, a paw went up and slammed his arm hard into the ground. He kept swinging with the other, but she caught it in her teeth and ripped her head upwards and Sinnett shrieked. He felt the careful connections the medic in District 12 had helped him set up tearing in his arm, it hurt almost like losing the arm again. 

The wolf flung the metal forearm to the side. 

Sinnett kept thrashing, but it was becoming clear that he wasn't getting away from this. The werewolf snapped her jaws his face, he recoiled the best he could, kicking for all he was worth at her legs and stomach but she still lunged down and tore his stomach open and likely would have finished him properly when something seemed to catch her attention elsewhere. 

She contemplated him, squirming getting weaker, and jumped off of him. There was a strange pause, Sinnett decided he didn't want to crane his neck and see what happened. “You stay here and have fun bleeding out.” She said, back in the form of a woman, and darted into the woods. 

Into the woods. Sinnett pressed his cheek to the ground. 

The weather had turned while he had been unconscious. The ground was dry, the air was hot. 

Gritting his teeth, Sinnett hauled himself over to the arm the wolf had torn from his body. Grabbed a rock off the forest floor, struck it against the side of his discarded arm. 

He saw a flicker of a spark, knew he was dealing with something that could ignite a fire. Struck it again and the sparks scattered on the ground, dancing along pine needles. He raked together a pile of twigs, his movements were getting slower, weaker, and stuck the metal with the rock again. 

The sparks hit the little twig pile and lit. 

Sinnett smiled, dropped the rock and laid down on the bed of pine needles. 

Pine needles. And pine trees. 

Excellent burning materials. 

The last thing Sinnett heard was the crackling of his fire as he willed it to reach the wolf, and then the world faded out. 

Throughout the arena, a cannon boomed. 

 

\---

 

Morcant  _ would  _ have stayed and finished off the redhead. However, she had bigger targets to track down, like that boy from District 1. She wasn't convinced he was a threat, but she didn't like the scent that came from him and the feeling along with it. Something was very wrong with him.  She refused to trust it not to be a big deal, so now that Moreau wasn't controlling her, she was going after him. 

Moreau had chased her off, actually. She'd managed to escape him, but since losing her eye he had decided she was useless and had sent her on her own. 

Which was better. Morcant had not wanted to be saddled with dealing with Moreau's dirty work through all the games. She had things of her own to get done. Like killing the District 1 tribute. Before she found out the hard way that he was dangerous.

She still had yet to find the blond tribute who had stabbed out her eye or find out who he was, but since she had been following the tribute from District 1 and had found the blond, she knew they were connected. 

Which made him more dangerous. Maybe the skinny brunet from the district himself was a pushover, but the blond had already killed the other werewolf and injured Morcant. She had good reason to suspect the both of them of being potentially deadly.

And a good reason to try and track the brunet down and kill him before the pesky blond could show up. 

Maybe her pride was hurt. After all, her job, that she had given herself during the attack Moreau had orchestrated on the camp the members of District 1 and the girl from District 9, had been to kill the brunet from District 1. She had failed, and not only that, she had lost an eye during the fight. 

Her pride  _ was _ hurt. But she wanted to the danger gone, too. Particularly the blond but she would settle for the one connected to him. 

And then she would remove the other member of District 1, the mayor’s son, and then the pesky thief from District 4, and hope that by then Moreau, Frankenstein and Adam had killed each other and that only one was left. She didn’t like her odds on killing all three of them herself. She needed some of them out of the game.

And she needed to take one of them out right now. She knew she was on his trail. She would have had an easier time tracking him in her wolf form, but human was less conspicuous if a little slower. 

But he was loud as if he and his friend didn’t realize that they could be heard throughout the arena. That he was going to get the both of them killed. 

Morcant ducked under a tree branch, scampered along the ground until she realized something was very wrong. 

She could smell smoke. 

She whipped around and saw the fire. She had been so focused on tracking District 1 she had missed it. 

She looked around, the fire was flanking her on one side, she could go straight or turn back to get out of the woods. 

She chose to try and get out of the woods. Ran back for where she had entered it, not bothering to be quiet just trying to get out. The fire was spreading all around her. It was following her through the woods. 

But she would get out. She would get out of the woods. 

And a flaming tree trunk crashed down in front of her. She spun, tried a different direction, ran as fast as she could just to be cut off again. The fire had surrounded her. 

She was trapped. Desperately, she tried to re-orient herself, she had to risk it, she had to run through the fire to try and get out. 

She took a deep breath, coughed on the smoke, and took off running. 

The wrong way into the woods. 

The cannon let Henry and Robert know that their pursuer was likely gone as they ran through the stream out of the woods. 

 

District 1- Luxury: Jekyll (17), Lanyon (18)  
 ~~District 2- Masonry: Mosley (14), Doddle (15)  
District 3- Technology: Pennebrygg (16), Flowers (15)  
~~District 4- Fishing: Helsby (17), ~~Maijabi (18)  
District 5- Power: Tweedy (15), Ito (16)  
District 6- Transport: Bryson (17), Griffin (17)  
~~District 7- Lumber: ~~Morcant (18)~~ , Moreau (18)  
District 8- Textiles: Frankie (18), Creature (14)  
 ~~~~District 9- Grain: Jasper (14), Rachel (15)  
District 10- Livestock: Lavender (14), Cantilupe (18)  
District 11- Agriculture: Bird (18), Archer (16)  
District 12- Mining: Sinnett (15), Luckett (16)


	24. Chapter 24

“I’m back, Robert, you can relax now,” Henry said, stepping into the clearing where they had taken up shelter. “We caught a rabbit for supper.”

“You did, I almost took my finger off trying to set one wire in place.” Robert turned around. “Need any help?”

“Just the knife.”

Henry walked over to where they had been storing whatever food he had managed to catch in the past few days. “Did you finish the grouse?”

“No, why?”

“It’s gone,” Henry said, “and I didn’t finish it. Have you found the knife yet?”

“No.”

“Where did you leave it?”

“Right here!”  Robert said. “Henry I swear to you, I didn’t do anything stupid with it, I know weapons are hard to come by!”

Henry took a deep breath. Robert was right, he wouldn’t have just carelessly lost it. Besides. The grouse was missing, too. “I know. I think someone stole it. It’s okay, we should have Rachel’s knife somewhere around here.”

“She didn’t have it with her?”

“She charged me with a sharpened tree branch, Robert, and I don’t want to talk about it! I thought you might have gotten that by now!” Henry didn’t mean to snap. He really didn’t. But snap he did. Robert lurched backwards, stung.

“I… I’m going to look for…” clearly Robert had no idea what he should look for. “I’m going to go.”

“Robert, wait.”

“No.” It was Henry’s turn to flinch. Robert spun around and stormed off into the woods.

Henry couldn’t help but think it might be the last time he saw Robert. _Good riddance._

“You shut up, Hyde, and you shut up _now!”_ Henry snapped.

Hyde trickled into existence like water down a window beside him. _How long, Henry dear, until you learn that I don’t take orders from you?_ He asked. _In this arena,_ I _give the orders. That includes on who has to shut up._

“You get away from me, Edward, and you stay away from me! I do not have the patience to deal with your shit right now! Is that all you can do, Edward? Pop up whenever things are going badly and do everything in your fucking power to make them worse?” Henry wanted to scream. He wanted to cry. He wanted to tear his fucking hair out.

Edward’s face hardened. _Right. You don’t like realism._

Edward wouldn’t just leave. He would leave, yes, but after making his point. Edward didn’t just leave. Edward always had more to say. Edward was the only person Henry couldn’t drive away.

He believed that until Edward was no longer standing beside him.

Then he realized he was well and truly alone. If he could drive off Edward, he could drive off anyone.

Silently, Henry fell to the forest floor, buried his face in his hands.

Felt a sob tear itself from his throat.

He was finished. He would through. He couldn’t do this anymore, he couldn’t stand this anymore. He couldn’t keep killing, he couldn’t keep hunting, he couldn’t keep pretending he wasn’t hopelessly in love with Robert Lanyon, he couldn’t keep Hyde a secret, he couldn’t, he couldn’t, he couldn’t.

He couldn’t kill Robert. Couldn’t even consider it. Couldn’t imagine letting Hyde do it, either.

He couldn't do anything. Not any of it. It wasn't Robert's fault that something was missing, it wasn't Robert's fault that he had killed Rachel and Jasper and one other person, none of it was Robert's fault.

So why had he taken it out on Robert? And Edward? Edward was doing what he was made to do, why was Henry mad at him? Why was Henry always made at him?

 _Beats me, I’ve been trying to figure it out since we got here. You know, at least one of the people you’re annoyed at yourself for being mad at is here. You could apologize._ Edward’s voice was snarky and angry. He was offering advice, yes, but more because he was hurt than because he actually wanted to help.

Henry supposed he hadn’t been kind. Edward had the right to be hurt. “Come here, Edward.”

_Are you just going to yell at me again?_

“No.”

It took a few seconds, but Edward slowly appeared beside him. He looked a little suspicious. _I didn’t even say anything that rude!_

“I know, Edward…” Henry muttered, buried his face in his hands. “I know, I know. I’m sorry, Edward, I know.” His breath hitched and he sobbed.

Edward groaned, he hated all things emotional, and pulled Henry into a hug. _It’ll be okay. You’ll be okay, Henry._

“How? How am I going to be okay, you've killed three people and you’re going to kill Robert and I have to let you if I ever want to see the outside of this arena again!”

_If you go all hysterical, we’re both going to die. Fact. The last people out there are killing machines and they will hear you._

Henry sniffled and nodded. “I just… want everything to be okay…” he whispered.

_You know I can't promise that. I have to get us home. No matter the cost._

“What if I don't want to live if he has to die for it?” Henry whispered.

Edward went very, very quiet. Henry looked up at him. “What's wrong?”

 _Henry… what was your favourite thing that you've ever done?_ Edward asked.

Henry thought long and hard about it. “That unofficial date that…”

_I know who._

“Took me on in the center of District 1. We fed the ducks in the pond and spent the whole day wandering, we must have seen the whole district. Until his father found out, of course. Or maybe… the night… before the games started.”

Edward was quiet again.

“Why, what's yours?”

_I don't have one._

“What do you mean, you don't have one, Edward? Surely you must have a favourite moment of your life.”

_I've been out in your bedroom, in District 1's training area, and this arena. That's it. That's all the world I've seen, that's all the experience I've had._

It was Henry's turn to fall silent. He had never really thought of what a restricted life he made Edward live. “And what did you want to see?”

_I wanted to see the view from the top of the tallest building in District 1. I wanted to talk to Lucy. I wanted to try one of those cookies you were always raving about for myself. I wanted to know what it was like to get drunk. I wanted to cross the district without touching the ground. And yes I know why you didn't let me do any of those things but… if you decide to die in here then I'm going to die too. And I'm not going to get to die with a good memory of the greatest day of my life. Just an incomplete checklist of things I wanted to do before we died. Things other than these games._

“I… I never realized you cared about anything but the games.” Henry shifted uncomfortably.

_The games might be my purpose but they're not everything. Please, Henry… I don't want to die in here and give up on everything I wanted to do on the outside. If you chose to die because you don't want to live in a world without Robert then… you might be content, but where does that leave me?_

Henry supposed he really hadn't thought of it that way. Edward had always been for the games, and only the games. He had never even asked if he had dreams or wishes or a bucket list, he had just assumed that Edward's bucket list involved the games. “You're…” Henry sighed, “Edward, I can't bring myself to say it…” He sniffled.

_Does our deal still stand?_

Henry didn't want to agree.

But it wasn't just his life that he was taking. “Yes.”

_And you promise not to intentionally get us killed so that it never happens?_

“If all goes according to plan, you're going to see the view from the highest point in District 1.”

Maybe if he had asked before the games, Edward wouldn't be as appalled by the idea of dying here. If Edward had gotten to try what he wanted from life before coming here.

But Henry hadn't let him, and hadn't asked if there was anything, so now he had to get out of the arena. “I just-”

_I don't think you should waste the time you have left with Robert. No matter what happens, you two are going to be apart soon. I don't think you should waste this time._

“But-”

_Henry, you're already in the arena. The Capitol can spin you as the lovebirds, sure, but they also have me and who cares what you are now? Wouldn't you rather have this time and get asked prying questions if we win than not have this time? Besides, I could always do the post-game interviews._

Henry sniffled and wiped his eyes. “You're… you're right…” he admitted.

_Well, you're in luck. I can hear him coming back. It's too slow to be anybody trying to kill us._

Sure enough, Robert stepped into the clearing a few seconds later. He looked a little calmer.

Edward vanished. Henry got to his feet and rushed over to Robert, limping pretty badly. Threw his arms around him. “I'm so sorry… I didn't-”

“I never should have brought it up. You had a right to get angry.”

“I'm still sorry.”

“As am I.”

 

“So I saw your little pet werewolf died, hmm Moreau? Is that why you're finally here to do your own dirty work?” Frankenstein asked. She was doing her best to stay perfectly in synch with Moreau's circling.

She could feel a bout of illness coming on.

“And I see your Creature is nowhere to be found, Victoria. So no one to save you when you collapse this time.”

He was right. Creature was out gathering food. Frankenstein didn't know when he'd be back.

Probably much too late. “I’m not too sick to kill the likes of you, Alphonse.”

Which was probably a lie. Frankenstein knew that.

Apparently Moreau was sick of talking. He lunged at her, mace flying towards her head. Frankenstein barely threw her sword up in time, deflected, used all her strength to throw his weapon backwards, stabbed at his chest. He jumped backwards, and they were circling again.

If she was going to win, she was going to have to make the attacks on her terms. It was Frankenstein’s turn to lunge, swinging one edge of her sword at Moreau’s neck, hoping to get him the same way she had gotten the tech girl, but that didn’t even remotely happen. Moreau parried and knocked her off balance, she had no choice but to stumble after the sword he pushed away. He swung at the back of her leg, she blocked, barely.

She could feel blood or bile rising in her throat. Swallowed. She could not afford another bout of illness. Prayed she wouldn’t get dizzy and swung at Moreau again, sword flying at his face first, other end swinging to his stomach before he could parry the first strike.

Finally, some sense of victory. He had been so ready to block the swing at her face that she actually caught him with the bail. She didn’t get a deep cut, but a cut formed on his stomach.

She grinned, swung again, almost confident now. He dodged, unsurprisingly, managed to push her away.

But Frankenstein had first blood. She could win. Without hesitating, she threw herself at him, managed to get his shoulder, though she was aiming for his heart. Her sword was no good for stabbing, but she would take what she could get, jabs were harder to parry than swings.

Moreau was genuinely starting to look worried now. Victoria found that encouraging. She risked a swing, he caught it with the mace and threw her away, brought the weapon down on her shoulder as she recovered from being thrown. Tried to hit again but she pulled the sword in the way, kicked at his chest and sent him sprawling.

Now she had him. She had to be quick, though, he would get up again soon.

She took a step and suddenly felt dizzy. “No, no no no…”

Another step, the world swirled. Moreau was on his feet again now. “Ah, just as I thought.”

Frankenstein took another step and doubled over, choking up blood. Moreau raised the mace up over his head.

All she could do was desperately hold a hand that wouldn’t save him in the way.

He swung.

“Victoria!”

Creature bowled her out of the way, sent her sprawling across the grass.

The strike broke his skull open.

Frankenstein didn’t have time to grieve. She forced herself onto her feet and _ran,_ hands shaking, blood dripping from her lips.

Victoria’s younger brother, William, two years ago had volunteered for a twelve-year old boy. William had only been fourteen, but he hadn’t been able to stomach sending a boy that young off to die. At sixteen, Victoria herself had just been trying to keep herself alive, never would have considered volunteering, but there her younger brother had been, shouting over the calamity that he would take the boy’s place.

When Victoria had asked him why, William had simply said that he had felt like it was his duty. He had then hugged his sister goodbye.

And that had been the last time Victoria had seen him. William had not survived the Hunger Games. A tribute from District 4 had killed him. Snapped his neck in one twist, let him fall to the ground as Victoria, sitting at home, had screamed and screamed and screamed.

They had gotten the body back. Victoria barely remembered the funeral.

She did remember one boy who hadn’t even known William being there. The twelve-year-old boy that William had died to save.

And the boy he had saved? An abnormally large boy, having suffered a bout of illness when he was young that left much of his skin almost rotted, holding a green colour.

A young boy named Adam, affectionately nicknamed Creature.

A boy that since then had absolutely refused to leave Victoria’s side. At first, Victoria had just wanted him to go away. She didn’t want the reminder of what had happened to WIlliam. She had adored her brother, all that had known him had, and that boy had gotten him killed.

But she had eventually, and very reluctantly, befriended the younger boy. In some way, he reminded her of William.

He had almost become like her younger brother.

But he had always been convinced her owed her a debt. For William. Had sworn to protect her, to look after her. After her parents had died, he had been the one who would tend her when she was sick, who trained with her in case she had ever been in the games.

He had at least twice taken a tessera without telling her.

And still gone into the games convinced he owed her a debt for her brother’s death.

Victoria looked back towards the clearing. She couldn’t afford to stop. Couldn’t afford to go back.

Merely whispered, “I guess the debt is paid.”

 

District 1- Luxury: Jekyll (17), Lanyon (18)  
~~District 2- Masonry: Mosley (14), Doddle (15)  
~~ ~~District 3- Technology: Pennebrygg (16), Flowers (15~~ )   
District 4- Fishing: Helsby (17), ~~Maijabi (18)  
District 5- Power: Tweedy (15), Ito (16)   
District 6- Transport: Bryson (17), Griffin (17)   
District 7- Lumber: ~~ ~~Morcant (18)~~ , Moreau (18)   
District 8- Textiles: Frankie (18), ~~Creature (14)~~ ~~~~  
~~District 9- Grain: Jasper (14), Rachel (15)~~  
 ~~District 10- Livestock: Lavender (14), Cantilupe (18)~~  
 ~~District 11- Agriculture: Bird (18), Archer (16)~~  
 ~~District 12- Mining: Sinnett (15), Luckett (16)~~

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed, if you did, don't forget to leave kudos, and remember, comments are my entire motivation! See you next chapter!


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